The Dixon Curse
by Rabbits Keeper
Summary: The Dixons have a terrible curse in the family. It falls heavily on the youngest Dixon of all- Daryl. He's fought for happiness a thousand times in his life, and every time someone from his family came to tear it down. Daryl has become terrified to let anyone in. Rated M for memories of Rape, Slash Yaoi, slight sexual content, and cussing/inappropriate names
1. Chapter 1

The day was just breaking and already thick and hot. Daryl threw himself into the front seat.

"what d'you thing yer doin, boy?" Merle demanded.

"Im driving." Daryl answered.

"Oh no." Merle answered, and jabbed his thumb over his shoulder. "Get in the passenger's seat, Daryl." Daryl sighed and pouted, sliding over into the other seat. "You didn't sleep last night." Merle mumbled. "Nightmare's again?" Daryl shrugged.

"Lets just get to the Quarry." Daryl answered, crossing his arms.

"You say his name in your sleep." He offered.

"Shut up, about it." Daryl snapped. "You made me come home. You made me leave David, and our lives together but it's FINE. I'm FINE." Daryl snapped, throwing his legs out the window.

"I know you miss him..." Daryl withered. "I'm sorry. I should have just left you there, on your rich bitch little private island, but... I love you! I hated the idea of you... and a man. It freaked me out! I thought maybe you were doing it because of... well... Adam."

"You were in jail." Daryl mumbled. "I knew you'd come back, find me... I knew the perfect life David and I had wouldn't last." He answered softly. "It was a year ago, lets drop it." Merle frowned. He reached over and ran a fond hand through Daryl's hair.

"Dont." Daryl mumbled. He did it again and watched his little brother lean into his hand. "Don't." He repeated and Merle did it one more time, pulling his head down into his lap.

"Take a nap, you need it." Daryl closed his eyes, and adjusted his head on Merle's warm lap. He slept until Merle shook his awake. He sat up, and looked out, then up at Merle.

"Who are they?"

"Survivors, like us. Time to put on the gruff face." Daryl snorted and watched Merle roll down the window.

"Who are you, what's your business here?" a man with fluffy ass hair and a lame 22 necklace around his throat, demanded.

"Came up 'ere ta keep away frem them walkers." Merle answered, "Didn' expect no people up here. This was always m' Baby brothers place an' mine. Huntin's nice round these parts." Daryl watched with little interest as the others. Gathered. there was men and women. An RV parked to the side of the camp, and tents. It was a few weeks into the infection, no sign of people anywhere. Daryl wondered how many were in the group. Daryl watched a woman hold her son closer to her. Daryl saw a woman with greying hair, a girl at her side and a man sitting on a log close to her. Daryl knew instantly there relationship was based on abuse.

"You hunt?" Daryl heard.

'Thas right." Merle looked over at Daryl. "Mostly baby brotha. He's real good at it." Merle paused. "Perhaps we should... join our forces." The man paused.

"Sure." He mumbled. "Names Shane, Shane Walsh."

"Nice Ta meetcha Shaney boy. Names Dixon, Merle Dixon. Thats mah brother, Daryl. He dont talk much." Daryl gave a limp wave and yawned, stretching uncomfortably in the cramped car.

"Y'all have a tent or something?"

"Oh yeah." Merle answered.

Within a few days Daryl had met everyone. He kept his opinions of them to himself, except for the occasional 'Nigger' comment when T-Dog came over to him. he didn't actually mean it. Where his brother did. Merle had his reasons for his racism, and it wasn't because of the racial slurs their daddy liked to make.

The fire flickered relentlessly. It was cold outside and daryl wanted to add another log to the fire, but decided agaisnt it. He didn't want the great and wonderful Officer Walsh to jump on him the second he breathed. After a few minutes Daryl got bored of waiting for Merle and went to join him at the other fire. He put out theres, by pissing on it. He had to go.

He sat down next to Merle.

"Why do you insist of saying things like that?" Jaqui demanded.

"Like what?" Daryl answered, looking between the two. "What did I miss?"

"those words you two insist on using all the time! Towards me, and T-dog and Glenn, and Morales and everyone else that has a little more pigment on their skin then you." Daryl sighed.

"I just talk like my Daddy did, is there somethin wrong with that?"

"Merle." His older brother elbowed him and he grunted.

"Thats barely an excuse Mr. Dixon."

"Dont call me that you fuckin nigger."

"Merle!" Daryl repeated, only to be elbowed again. Daryl withered and mumbled something under his breath, he didn't want to hear the story again. He half wanted Merle to admit the reason he hated colored people. He wanted to tell about the group that raped Merle and beat him and left him for dead. Merle insisted he was fine, of course, and that he raped just as many people in prison.

"you know nothin about me. And I'd kindly like for you to leave me and my baby brother alone." He paused. "That is of course if you want either of us to keep bringin in the food." Daryl sighed and got up to get himself a bowl of soup. When he sat down again he said:

"you could try to be a little more racially sensitive, bro." Daryl pointed out. "I mean it aint like it was before." Merle slapped him up side the head.

"Shuddup." He ordered and Daryl sighed again. "Racially sensitives for pussy's."

"No it isn't!" Jaqui exclaimed. "The bigger man can accept anyone."

"Naw, my daddy beat that talk outta me when I was 12." Merle snapped, and sent a glare Daryl's way. "Thought he did you to, maybe you need a refresher." Daryl rolled his eyes and went back to his soup. He knew his brother wouldn't attack him,as much as he threatened to.

"How about we change the subject?"offered Lori. Merle snarled.

"C'mon Daryl, lets get back to our own fire pit."

"But... im already comfortable!" Daryl protested, and Merle grabbed his arm and yanked. Daryl tightened his eyes at him. "No."

"Fine." He hissed and stormed away. After a few moments of awkward silence Daryl spoke up.

"I dont say it out of harshness. It really is just a word I was raised with." Daryl said gently. "Dont mind my brother none. He's got his own reasons for his own hate. Pain he suffers every day aint nothin he cant handle. It just makes him... gruff." Daryl offered. "He don't mean it." With that Daryl went back to listening to the conversation. Merle stumbled back a few hours later.

"Daryl." he said softly. Dayrl looked up. "Can't sleep." He mumbled. Daryl nodded and put his bowl down. He wrapped an arm around Merle shoulders and led him back to the tent. He paused on the edge of the light. "Dinner was real good, Jaqui. Thank you." He mumbled and Daryl pulled him to the tent. He opened the flap and zipped it behind him. Jaqui frowned.

"That man... is bipolar." She said they laughed.

Later at the CDC

"They raped him. A gang, a racially correct gang..." He laughed. "It was a combination of Black men, Hispanics and a few japanese... Merle was in prison... with one of the RC's members as his cell mate. Black, real scary lookin. Merle's always used the N word... but he didn't use it in hate until after that. He was 18, in maximum security prison for 10 monthes for drug possesion and being an acomplaice in a murder. Our dad... used to do things to Merle things he didn't do to me. My mom had partial custody of me, I was younger, i dont know, I did more things that he liked. I cried when he hit me... Merle was defiant, my dad said that meant he ahd the devil in him. Used ta lock him up in a little box all alone for days. Starve him while I was with mom. Things like that. He always acted out. I think it was because he didnt have a big brother to look out for him like I did. But because of Merle's long rap sheet, he ended up in prison." Daryl shrugged. "He called his cell mate a negro, and the man flipped. Merle used to be a real pretty little thing. Young, lots of hair..." Daryl shrugged. "He kept it long. His cellmate decided he liked that... and when Merle called him that word, his cell mate worked it so he ended up in solitary. then him and his little gang decided to pay him a visit. If you know what I mean." Jaqui nodded. "They each took a turn, nealry killed him, beat him so baddly he could barely move. After that Merle got really into drugs, his face, his body, was ruined. He... ended up in prison for 35 to life, a while back. I was 17 at the time. I realized I couldn't take it anymore, what was happening to me at hom,e." Jaqui narrowed her eyes.

"What was happening to you?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Daryl, why do you do that, sugar?" She asked.

"You remind me of my grandmother." Daryl said softly, Jaqui looked shocked.

"What?"

"No offense." He laughed, he took a drink from the bottle and passed it to her. She did the same.

"I never expected a little alcohol to loosen you up like this, Daryl." She laughed. "Why do I remind you of your grandmother?"

"My grandmother was Native American. She was the one who taught me how to hunt, and she was so... just detailed. She was kind and gently and... your just a lot like her. She died when I was younger. It was part of the reason why I ran away..."

"What do you mean?"

"dont matter none." He shook his head. "I ran off..."


	2. Chapter 2

The camp After the Farm

Daryl slid easily over the ground. Daryl was hoping to catch a wild boar that he'd seen a few nights before. Daryl took a deep breath and peaked around the corner. The boar was there, nibbling at things in the ground. He smiled and took a steady breath. He shot, the boar freaked and took off running- in the direction of the camp, just like Daryl had wanted. Daryl ran after it, keeping it on the track he wanted. Once it was about half a mile from camp it ran straight into a trap he'd set up. Trapped and squealing, Daryl went over to it.

"Thank you." He said gently. "You're going to save my camp, we haven't eaten three days." With that he slaughtered the animal, and picked it up. He drug it back to camp, smiling broadly.

"Wow." Carol smiled. "Good job." He smiled back at her. He liked it when Carol smiled, she had the best smile. He placed the animal on the ground and waved for Carl and T-Dog to come over to him. He showed them how to skin the animal, showed them each vital organ, good places to aim. he told them about how he caught it.

"Where Rick?"

"He went to see if he could find a place to get gas." T-Dog answered and Daryl nodded.

"Take these to Carol and your Mom."

The next day, Daryl woke early, with David's name on his lips- as usual. He frowned.

"David." He muttered and swiped the tears angrily from his eyes. He sighed and looked down at the others on the lower levels of the ruins. They tried not to sleep on the ground, and the ruins were easy enough to get up to- if you were human. It would have been far more difficult for a recently deceased to pull itsself up the rocks or even up the makeshift ladder they'd fashioned and pulled up after them. to get up to the 'second' floor you had to be corrdinated enough to climb and avoid the trap holes. They still didn't have the gas to go anywhere else, so... they were stuck in the ruins until later notice. Daryl frowned and rolled over. No one really slept well, but Maggie and her family seemed to have it the worse. Especially her little sister- whats her name... Beth, She had fits in her sleep. They were lucky enough to have left most of the gallons of water that Shane had come across where they were when the panic set it. So they had those at least. And a river- they ahd to boil the watert first, so it started to be more and more like the Quarry camp, only with less people. Daryl sighed, his mind wandering in the early morning chill. He nearly jumped out of his skin when T-Dog came over to him and touched him.

"What?" He hissed, heart slamming against his chest.

"Sorry... could... erm, do you think we could trade places?"

"Why?"

"Im exhausted, on watch I nearly dosed off... No one came to reliev me tonight... and im way to tired to keep going, and I noticed you were up... so..." Daryl nodded.

"Yeah, no problem, man." He answered, scooping up his crossbow. T-Dog smiled, Dayrl could tell he was tired. His eyes were lopsided. "Next time kick my ass awake or something."

"I didn't want to bother anyone." Daryl scoffed. "Sorry." He muttered. He laid down and Daryl climbed up to the highest level of the ruins and frowned. A ways off he saw a small group, pulling their selves along on the road. He pulled Dale's binoculars over his neck, then up to his eyes. He gazed at the five walkers with a frown. Four of them kept walking, away from the camp, but one vanished, suddenly. A moment passed and daryl found it again, It had fallen off the bridge and was shabling around, blindly, towards the camp. Daryl strung an arrow into his crossbow and took aim, waiting for it to get closer before he fired. It dumped itsself quite dead onto the ground as soon as daryl's arrow imbedded itself in the creatures skull. Daryl huffed and went back to looking around the surrounding area.

He stood there until the sun started to come up, and the others started to wake. Rick stumbled over to him.

"Hey." He muttered.

"Hey." Daryl answered.

"Good job, bringing in the Boar yesterday." He nodded and Daryl smiled tiredly. "How long you been up here?"

"Few hours." He answered. "T-Dog was up here all night." He stated softly. "Came and scared the shit out of me when I woke up earlier, musta been 'bout three, four 'clock this mornin'..." He shrugged.

"You should go get some breakfast." Daryl shrugged, he wasn;t hungry.

"Not hungry." He mumbled.

"Are you alright?" Where did that come from? Daryl thought, confused.

"Uhm... yeah... I-Im fine." He answered, confused.

"Its just, last night you woke me up."

"Did I?"

"you were whimpering and moaning and crying out in your sleep, not loudly or anything, just... little cries, but im already on edge." He shrugged.

"Nightmare... bout my... friend. He was my... room mate." Daryl said easily. "Best friend... only friend..." He shrugged. "I can;t get him out of my head... See, I don't know what happened to him, he... we... we parted ways when the zombies came, and I uh, think he might be dead... or not."

'His names David?"

"How'd oyou know?" He asked, crunching up his nose.

"You said his name." Rick answered, wanting to ask what had been on his mind since he started spending more time around the unbalenced hic. He decided against asking, not wanting to disturb the other man, or to drive him away. It was obviously a well kept secret between the two brothers. Suddenly Rick wondered if- no, he banished the thoughts away and forced a smile onto his face.

"Either way, hungry or not, im sure Carol would like some company." Rick siad, shrugging. The hic nodded.

"I'll see you... then." The whole situation was suddenly awkward. Daryl wanted to escape. He slid down to the base level of thecamp and frowned at the tiny fire. It was colder then usual, the morning sun was hidden by thick, heavy rain clouds. It was still dark out, and the tell tale pale yellow circle wasn't even visable behind the clouds. Daryl's frown deepened and he closed his eyes, taking in the scent of the world around him. He remembered his two arrows from th night before and decided to go collect them. Once he did so, he suddenly felt exhausted, like there was something heavy on his head and shoulders. He closed his eyes and groaned. The smell of the zombie brains were heavy and thick... he shuddered. So disgusting. He looked around eyeing to see if there were anymore things to do in the area. He heard the creature long beforte he saw it. It was the soft, mewling sound of pain, and groaning. The smell of death- he should have known it was far to heavy on the air then just one walker. He spun around and barely managed to shoot the creature before it tackled him. The arrow went though its eye, but it kept growling at him- snarling, dripping undead blood onto his face. He whimpered, trying to fight it off. He managed to kick it in the stomach. He narrow rolled out from under it, gagging. He scrambled away and looked for anything to kill the creature with. He kicked the once-man in the chest, it rolled over to its stomach and Daryl stepped on it. He grabbed the arrow head that was sticking out about a centimeter and yanked, using all of his strength. Daryl managed to pull the arrow out, and he squeaked. The


	3. Chapter 3

{Hello, lasttime I left you with a little sorta cliffe` teehee I am a evil evil, teeheehee!))

The walker slumped and he sighed. It laid in a rapidly spreading pool of blood for several moments before Daryl breathed another sigh or relief.

"Thank god." He rolled it over with his toe and sighed again. It was dead, thankfully. Daryl huffed softly and closed his eyes. He needed to get back. He gave another quick look around the area and sighed, jogging back to camp.

"are you ok? I could see what was happening... but it was over before I could even go running for you!" Carol exclaimed, sobbing she wrapped her arms around him. She kissed the side of his head and whimpered. he pulled back.

"Its alright... im... ok... Its alright." He muttered.

"Dont ever do that again!" She sighed, and closed her eyes.

Later...

The fire started to die down and again Daryl's thoughts turned to David.

"hey, what are you thinking about?" Glenn asked, sitting down next to Daryl with a tender smile. Was he worried? Daryl could never tell, he was always so abd with people.

"Nothing." He muttered. "just... things... people." He shrugged, not wanting to think about all those things that he could have been thinking about other then David. He didn't want to think about their lives together or the way he smelled, or that smile that he got when he was drunk. How bloody giddy he got, how hottly he blushed when Daryl was open. How sad he got when Daryl wasn't-, Daryl frowned and shook his head, trying to force the thoughts out. They crept right back up and assaulted him. They crawled into the deepest parts nof his brain and held on for dear life. And he wanted them to go away- he didn't care if he had to do something silly... Glenn frowned.

"Are you alright?' Glenn asked, there it was, that... weak smile of un-sureness... That weak comforting, worried look that Glenn painted his face with. The compassion and give-a-damn was painted in his eyes. Daryl frowned.

"Im fine."

"Liar." Glenn muttered. "Whats eating at you?"

"Just.. people." Daryl scoffed and Glenn's eyes widened.

"I would hope not!" Daryl was not about to tell Glenn his big secret- not when the boy could barely keep a little secret like a pregnancy. Daryl shook his head.

Daryl carefully picked his way over to his usual sleeping place- only to find it filled, by T-Dog. Out of all of the men and women in camp Daryl realized that he knew the least about T-Dog. He figured the man wasn't going to volenteer himself for first watch again by being the one awake. Daryl looked around and realized Maggie was on watch- she had been for several hours. Daryl frowned, no one else looked ready to jump of the position, so he walked over.

"Hey." She looked over.

"Hey." She echoed and he smiled.

"I'll take first watch tonight, why dont you go sleep." She frowned, looking towards the setting sun. She shivered and nodded.

"Ok." she muttered, rubbing her arms. He pulled his crossbow off of his shoulder and leaned it up against the wall. He took the offered binoculars and silently watched her walk away. He understood how easily this could all slip away again. Daryl stood up there until the sun had sank long ago below the horizen. Staring out across the empty ruins made him think about the Island. A feeling of guilt slid into his stomach and he frowned. David's face flashed over his minds eye again and he sighed. Maybe if he could find the island... maybe David was still there, maybe he was ok, maybe the infection never made it to there little island. Daryl shuddered at the idea of him having to run, or getting attacked or... Daryl tried to smother the idea. He tried to beat it to death and squash it out before he could think about it. He could see David's face suddenly, contorting in pain and ripping appart and... He sobbed, not loudly, just a tiny bit at the back of his throat. Not loud enough for anyone to hear. He shuddered, and suddenly the tears he'd been holding back assaulted him. He sobbed again and the tears swelled down his cheeks. He wiped them away, coughing. His hands started to shake and he closed his eyes, feeling more tears slip out from behind his lids. He bit down on his lip and sobbed again. He prayed no one could hear him.

He dropped to his knees and covered his face with his hands. He stayed like that for a few minutes, until his emotions were under control again. He kept thinking about how alone he was. His brother, gone- David, gone- his home, his life, he'd lost it all. his body suddenly ached, his chest felt hallow and cold.

"Get control of yourself." He ordered himself angrily. He took a long deep breath and breathed in relief. Finally his body let him calm down. He stood back up and swept his eyes around the area. When he found nothing he sighed in relief. "Jesus Daryl." He muttered. "Stop doing this to yourself." He breathed. He swept his eyes over the area again and paused. He picked up the binoculars and squinted. It was too dark to tell, but someone was running. He watched them leap over a huge log and smiled. They couldn't possibly be a zombie to be leaping like that. Were they being followed? He swept his binoculars behind the running figure. there was nothing there, the other had probably outrun it- whatever it was. Daryl looked around again, making sure there were no walkers in sight and decided to go check out who this person was. Daryl nodded and slid down to the ground. He looked around for the figure again, and found it. They were standing in the middle of the feild, around where daryl had killed the two walkers before. Daryl could see their body moving back and forth, looking aorund- probably for whatever was chasing them before. Daryl jogged towards it, pausing only to load his cross bow. He advanced again. Daryl became aware that the figure was probably male, once he got within twenty feet of him. The night was wet, the air heavy. He worried about leaving the group with out a look out, but he figured it would be ok for jsut a few moments.

{{Hehe, another cliff hanger! teehee! ^.,^ im so evil, lovely lovely evilevil... Who could this person be?}}


	4. Chapter 4

_Daryl jogged towards it, pausing only to load his cross bow. He advanced again. Daryl became aware that the figure was probably male, once he got within twenty feet of him. The night was wet, the air heavy. He worried about leaving the group with out a look out, but he figured it would be ok for jsut a few moments._

Daryl's eyes scanned the area around the figure several times. He got about five yard away and paused. The man, definitatly a man. Stood there, staring at him, arms folded, like he couldn't decide what to do with them.

"Who are you?" The man asked. That voice... Daryl knew that voice. He frowned.

"The names Daryl."

"Daryl." The mans voice was nice, warm, and familiar, but for some reason it struck fear into his stomach. Daryl figured it was the adrenaline of finding another person.

"Who are you?"

"Dont you know." Daryl scrunched up his face and the man took several long strides towards him.

"Whoa! stay back." In the darkness Daryl couldn't see his face.

"Are you scared of me, Daryl? Who ARE you Daryl?" Daryl felt terribly confused, and he took a few rapid steps back. 'aren't you supposed to be on watch, Princess?" Daryl scrunched up his face. Only one person ever called him Princess.

"Fuck off! Dont call me that." Daryl took another step back and suddenly he was at the edge of a massive, sheer . The man grabbed his arms. And suddenly Daryl was 17 again- a terrified kid, abused alone.

"Whats wrong princess? Why the long face?" Daryl's eyes widened and he backed up another step, teetering on the edge of the cliff. The mans body crept closer, and closer. "Why did you leave me, hm? Didn't think I'd be mad about that, huh?" He laughed and pulled 17-year-old Daryl closer to him.

"No! Go away! Go Away!" Daryl's face became wet with tears. "I-I'll stomp your ass if you get any closer!"

"Aren't you supposed to be on watch?" He asked again, "Why are you sleeping on watch, Princess?" The words repeated over and over again as the mans face started to melt and Daryl felt screams lace his lips.

Daryl jolted then, eyes flying open he gasped loudly. He shuddered, nearly hyperventilating. He gripped his head and gasped, realizing he was very, very close to the edge of the ruins. He looked around and managed to get control of his breath.

"What the hell just happened?" He muttered, rubbing his face with his hands. He jolted again and put his binoculars to his face. He looked all over and saw no zombies. He looked down to the fire pit and found it empty. That was good. He nodded and clsoed his eyes again.

"Christ." He muttered. He was awake at least, and there was no way he'd go back to sleep again, no matter if anyone came to relieve him or not. his entire body felt heavy and thick. He frowned. "Last thing I need is more nightmares." He muttered.

The rest of the night passed painfully slowly, with absolutely no interesting happenings. Daryl half wished someone would run by... although if it was... him he was certainly ok if that didn';t happen.

**Meanwhile...Underground Somewhere- Merle Dixon sits talking to a busty woman in a lab coat with thick nerdy glasses hanging on her nose...**

Merle paced around the room, rubbing his stump in anguish. He hated waiting.

"Stop pacing, Merle. The more you move the longer this will take, sugar." The woman purred, looking up from her microscope. Merle groaned loudly.

"Is it daytime yet? Maybe I could go huntin' or somethin'?" The woman shook her head, glancing over at the clock on her desk she sighed.

"Definitely not going to happen, theres still an hour until sunrise."

"Oh." Merle huffed and sat down, letting his hand and stump hang between his legs.

"Tell me more about your brother."

"Why?" Merle growled.

"I'm super curious and- It'll help pass the time, and the procedure..." She ;paused. "And don't start acting all gruff and mighty again." She snapped. 'Seriously, when you' ve shown me your true self you cant just whip back around and try to convince me otherwise, Merle.

"Right... Right... What do you want to know about him?" Merle asked, crinkling up his face in a disgusted fashion.

"Start up where you left off last night." Merle paused, frowning.

"Daryl was 12 when I came back from juvy again. He was a little wisp of a thing. He never grew much when we were kids. He was always really scrawny, unhealthy and starved. There was always food in the fridge, it weren't like were were poor or ..." Merle shook his head. "My dad was real... controlling. If he could he;d control everything about a person, from the clothes they wore to when they took a shit." Merle shook his head. "That boy was too damn small, and too damn young to stand much of a chance up against our Pa. See... he liked to forget Daryl exsisted, let him roam around alone, and then he'd turn around and micro manage Daryl's life. He'd lock the fridge, shove Daryl in this tiny box in the basement. When I came home Daryl was thinner then he'd ever been. He had bruises everywhere... And those eyes. They were usually this vibrant blue, but they were... like a walkers, honestly, cloudy, tired... He was easier to fix, when he was younger. Tell him to stiffen up, perk up... Not to be such a pussy, and he'd nod, sigh and tell me 'Ok, big bruffa, ok.' It was all ok, and I actually managed to stay for a while that time. My dad worked off and on, and there was always at least a six pack in the fridge. " Merle paused. "I dont get why your so curious about my past..."

"When a homicidal maniac stumbles into my camp one handed and passes out on top of me, I like to get to know him." She shrugged. "You were heavy.' She nodded and he laughed.

"How long until its ready?"

"Being impatient again." She cooed. Merle chuckled warmly and sighed. "Skip ahead to when he was 14, the first time you went to prison, right?" Merle huffed and rolled his eyes. "I like hearing about your past, Merle. And It'll help when the bonding process starts, you'll have all the memory emotion running through your wrist and it'll attact to the hand." The woman smiled. Merle Withered.

"I know sometimes I was hard on him. I liked to call him Darlina, and he hated it, but... I just wanted him to be... Well... more of a man I guess. By the time he was seventeen he was hard, and structured... but." he shook his head. "Even by then he was tiny. He never grew right, he was 5'3 for years."

"Do you have a picture of him as a kid?"

"Yeah, in my wallet." She looked over at her desk and frowned.

"Eh, it was wait." She shrugged and Merle smirked.

"Your so lazy."

"i am not..."

"Anyway, it didn't matter how long I was gone, or how badly I treated him because he finally did what he had to. Its not what I would have done, but when he couldn't take it anymore, he cant take it anymore." He shrugged. "He ran away."

"Oh? Why?"

"He told me right before I was arrested for selling cocaine. Adam... my dads best friend, was an Ecstasy addict... he would stay at our house, we had a big house. I mean.. when my aunt died she left my mother a lot of money and my mama used it to fix up the place. Ecstasy is a bad thing to be around anyone, especially a 15 year old kid." He shook his head. "It... became a constant thing, something he knew was going to happen. Daryl couldn't take it anymore when he was 17, he ran away."

"Was he... taking advantage of his body?" Merle nodded. "Bastard! You kicked his ass right?" Merle laughed.

"I love how you've never met these people but you still hate them or care for them."

"What? I'm an emotionally in tact person. But did you kick his ass?"

"Then I dumped him in the woods and went to find my brother. Took me nearly six years to find him. This is where is gets super juicy, pay attention."

"Well, your gunna have to tell me later." She said easily. "Its done, come here." She glanced at the clock and frowned. "You've been talking for nearly an hour..." She laughed. Merle walked voer and offered his wrapped stump. "I think its fate."

"whats fate?"

"You cut off your hand and find me... and Im the only person alive- even before the Apocalypse- that could have done this for you. And I shouldn't have even been up stairs that day... Fate."

"Mm." Merle hummed, not really listening. "Just hurry up woman." The woman laughed and shoved the prostetic hand against his stump.

'This'll hurt, Sug." She warned, he let out a groan when the sounds of machinery started, painfully digging into his flesh. He groaned again, louder then before.

"Augh..." He groaned, gasping. "You said this was going to hurt, but what the hell?" he demanded.

"Sorry."

"Feels like im cutting it off all over again."

'Its re-establishing the nerves that you cauterized. It has to have them, sugar, with out them it wont do what you need it to, when you need it to."

'That why you made me stay up all night?"

"Yeah, the more tired you are, the more sensitive and open your nerves are." She answered. "Sorry."

"Ah." He winced. "But will it still have the metal opening... parts? Wont it just fall through?" He asked, looking at the hand with a frown. He gasped when the fingers uncurled, and then curled into a fist.

"I'll add on some skin when I can, but... theres not really a doner around here with enough skin for it, unless you want some of Toby's."

"He's only fifteen, and... black. Thanks anyway, though." He laughed warmly but winced again.

"Well... maybe I can graft some of mine, or try to grow it again, for now, this." She held up the rubber covering.

"Cool. This is... weird.." He muttered, "Its like my hand, it obeys... but... It... I can't feel it."

"Yeah... It was going to be the next step in limp prosthetic rehabilitation, but... well... you know why that didn't happen." She shook her head.

"hey Aria!" A young black boy, presumably Toby, came into the room. "Theres like fifteen walkers roaming around the car park, shouldn't we take care of them?" He was a thick english accent.

"Are they near any of the entrances?"

"No... Not really."

"Then we probably dont need to do too much and... Theres no point in putting anyone at risk again, kiddo. Not for a handful of walkers." Aria shrugged.

"What about hunting?" Merle whined.

"You need to train your hand a little more before you go outside." Aria answered. "For now, go take a nap." She offered.

'But the sun is coming up!" He whined.

"Merle." Toby addressed calmly. "Maybe you and I could play some video games or something in the rec room?" Toby offered. "Or maybe you could tell me another story." Merle frowned. As much as he hated Toby's kind he couldn't help but... smile when the kid came over to him all wide eyed and sweet. He liked Merle, and Merle (although he'd never admit it) liked him back. He was a good kid... a lot like Daryl in his own way, a little bit broken, but strong and stubborn. He watched his whole family slaughtered and managed to escape. He had a lust for killing Walkers, went topside as often as possible to kill them. Aria hated it when he did that, but didn't argue.

"Yeah, sure why not. Might as well work on being racially sensitive some more before you kill yourself off." He winked at the boy and followed him into the Rec room. It was a nice little sanctuary they had sculpted for themselves. Well, Aria had sculpted for herself and invited them to come inside. She had set up a faux camp above them, with tents and a fire pit. The real camp was several feet below and to the left of the fuax one. She had set up several windmills and solar panels long before the infection came. She had built her home based on defeating the need for fossil fuels. In her mind the Apocalypse was the perfect test run. she was a genius that had even set up her own computer system. She was on the way to making her own waste reusable when it hit. Merle sort of thought that was a good thing.

So, the only problem their home had was the food sources were not refundable. After not very long they would be gone- it was just a matter of months. Maybe a year at the rate they were going. There was a

Merle hunted, or at least tried to. Without both hands it was increasingly difficult. That was the reason why he collapsed on Aria that fateful day. He hadn't eaten in days, and forget water. It had only been about two months since she found him, and she had several prototypes in the work for her new prosthetic.

"Yo, earth to Merle." Toby called. "Paging Merle Dixon, Merle Dixon please respond." Toby giggled boyishly, snapping Merle out of his mused trance.

"Sorry?" Merle muttered. "What just happened?"

"Sheesh." Toby rolled his eyes over dramatically. "I asked you if you wanted to play a game of scrable?" Merle noticed the box in his hand, held there like every other game in the world, open and wanting for Merle to swoop in and act big brother again.

"Okay." Merle nodded. "But we're playin it my way." Merle sneered, then laughed tenderly, running his hand through the boys hair. His hair wasn't as thick as one would expect, him being African American and all. Merle mused he was probably only half and he had the other halves thinner hair. It was still jet black. Toby ran over to the table and hummed as he set up the board. This was not something Merle ever expected- especially after his run in with the RC's back when he was younger. Toby was black, Merle would have called him a Nigger and shoved him off before he met Officer friendly. He woulda told him to sit and spin on his middle finger. So... No- if someone said in a few months he'd be playing scrabble with some little negro 15-year-old dressed like he was 'from da hood' but was actually from 'the Brittan' and treating the kid like one would a little brother or son... well... Merle wouldn't have believed it. He'd probably would have beaten their ass and thrown them in the psych ward for fear they'd gone insane.

But all of that aside- Toby was a nice kid. He liked to help, he still liked to play. He was young, dumb, but more mature then any 15-year-old Merle'd ever met, save for Daryl, and Merle liked that. So, Merle sat and addressed his pieces. He had 7, of course. D,A,A,Y,M,O,L Moldy... Day... Yam, Dam...

"You go first." Toby said. "Since we're gunna play it your way." So Merle laid out the word Day, and then the word Moldy. Toby giggled. "Eww."

_**((Since I left you with a serious cliff hanger yesterday, I figured I'd give you something more substantial today, and leave you with a pleasant sweet moment of Merle being Racially correct and playing Scrabble with some kid. And in case you were confused... Uhm... Yeah- the guy, the whole thing was a dream- actually a nightmare... so... yeah... :D Poor poor Daryl! Poor... Poor... everyone suffers in my stories... More on Aria and Toby in the next Chapter, and Im thinking of going against the TV Show completely and giving T-Dog like... All The LINES! O_O**_

_**ALSO! i love it when I get reveiws, you two are aweosme and I love you, but please... spread the word about my story and get your friends to reveiw and read and I'll be more likely to update in a timely fashion {although I am updateing a lot because im a little addict!} I love you both, my little readers/reveiwers... :D))**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**A Few days Later...**_

Merle frowned, still trying to figure out how to make his hand work the way he wanted it to. Sometimes it did what he wanted, other times it just sorta hung there.

"Aria!" He called, walking into her lab.

"Yes my love?" She smiled sweetly at him and he frowned.

"It doesn't work!" He whined, holding up his hand.

"I told you..."

"No you didn't!"

"Stop whining, merle. It has to fully calebrate to your brain, the nerves are still numbed from the month where there was nothing there at all." She sighed. "let me see." She purred, and he held out his 'hand'. "Now, have you been training it like we discussed?"

"uhm... what do you mean?" She frowned.

"using it for little tasked like, stirring your coffee, or moving a game piece." merle sighed.

"Im trying but its hard, im not used to using my hand anymore... Toby's been good at reminding me." The man sighed and sat down, watching ehr tinker pull the 'skin' off. she frowned.

"I should have trimmed the scarred flesh first." She huffed a little and shook her head. "I could... it might make the proceedure go a little fast-"

"No." Merle snapped. "No fucking way." she frowned, then shrugged.

"Suit yourself. Does it still hurt?"

'Yeah." he frowned. "A... lot actually, it... twinges." She rolled back in her chair and went to a cabinate, she reached for a bottle and frowned. She stood up and stood on her tip-toes, trying to reach for the bottle. She let out the smallest, tiniest whimper. Merle stood and walked over, he easily towered over her by a foot, or more. She was tiny for a full grown woman. He used his bad hand to p[oint at the bottle she wanted. She nodded and huffed, sitting back down. he clutched it then handed it down to her. She smiled.

"now go sit down." She ordered and he frowned.

"A womans telling me what to do now?" He questioned unhappily, going to sit down. She snatched a syringe from the shelf and walked over, while she filled the syringe with whatever was in the bottle. In on fluid motion she jabbed the neeled into Merle'd wrist, injected him, then pulled it out.

"What is that? A pain killer?"

"No. It'll just speed up the process." She answered. "Giving you a pain killer would kill the proceedure./" She smiled warmly. 'It'll help though. But you did relaly well getting me the bottle. keep using it, it will get better." She sighed and went back to her desk. For the first time in abotu a month, Merle watched the woman remove herover shirt and labcoat. He fixated on the scars he had seen once before.

"How'd you get those scars?"

"Hm? Oh... uhm, it doesn;t matter." She answwered qucikly.

"No Fair, Aria, I told you my entire life story, and into my brothers! So... Tell m." She sighed.

'There was a fire when i was little. It left me bed ridden for monthes. i was the only survivor, happy?" Merle frowned.

"So wait... are you... an orphan?" She nodded.

"My entire family- aunts, uncles, cousins sisters brothers... They all were trapped in the fire." Merle blinked, how terrible. "I managed to escape, I was three at the time, the youngest and smallest... I could get out of the bathroom window. No one else could fit... I survived, but... Well, Im ugly and scarred." She shuddered, Merle stood up and walked over to her, sliding his hands over her arms, he kissed her neck and she blushed.

"I think your beautiful." He purred and she turned even redder. 'I mean it, you aren't ugly. You know the saying, the scars dont make the person, the person makes the scars."

Meanwhile...

T-Dog yelled out for help. The zombie had its jaws open, snapping, drooling, gurgling at the back of her throat. T-dog was hold ehr at bay by her arms, but his strength was waning. The creature snarled, ripping back and forth. T-Dog gagged, seeing the way her breasts slid wettly against each other, one was in tact, the other was hanging by a few threads of skin, and she was mostly naked. T-dog gagged again, and flinched when an arrow tore down through her chin. She shuddered for a second, then dropped to the floor. T-Dog gagged and let her fall, shuddering.

"Oh my god." He shivered, shaking his hands, as if it would get rid of the feeling of wet, clammy dead flesh off of them. It didn't help, but it made him feel a little better. He had never had a weak stomach, but the look of that dead woman, all naked and... damp and... Everything about it made him sick to his stomach. He had enver been much for woman as it was, but jesus, he never wanted to see breasts again.

'hey are you ok?" It was Daryl's voice, t-Dog smiled, then nodded. "Good. Dont be a moron next time, look. Fucking idiot." He rolled his eyes and patted T-Dog on the back. "C'mon, lets get this gas back to camp, Rick will be over-joyed to see it."

"Yeah... Carol too, I suppose." Daryl shrugged, then nodded.

"Yeah, maybe having transportation will make her smile again..." Daryl hummed, smiling at the idea.

"Carol's pretty." T-Dog muttered, Daryl smiled wider.

"Yeah, she is."

'you like her, right?" Daryl's head snapped up, and he blushed, T-Dog felt his heart sink into his guts again.

"I... guess... like... as a person."

"Yeah... I meant as... more then a person."

"What like... a mother or something? She was a good mom... I think."

"No. I mean like... as a lover." Daryl's face flushed again and he looked away, trying to hide how red his face was.

"Yeah, sure, she's... got nice qualities." Daryl despertly tried to remember what his brother always raved about on Carol. "Her... Eyes are nice."

"Your not as shallow as your brother." T-Dog commented boredly. "Im sure he would of gone on ab out ehr ass, or... breasts."

"Yeah... i... gues those things are good too." Daryl was still blushing maddly. "Did tyou have a girl... before this?" t-Dog paused.

'Not... exactly." He laughed.

"What do you mean? Are you a player or somehting? had lots of sex with random women?"

"no. im not one for anonymous... But... I did have someone."

"Oh?"

"Just... not a girl."

"Oh..." Daryl paused. "Oh! your... Gay?"

"No." T-Dog said. :Bi... but... I like guys more." He didn;t understand why he was saying those sorts of things to Daryl Dixon, the second most judgemental person he'd ever met in his life. That and... He had left his brother chained to a roof... and so much more. Daryl left the air to settle then took a small breath. T-Dog tensed, waiting for the other shoe to drop, certain he was about to lay itno him.

"Thats Cool. I think Shane liked dudes sometimes too. He grabbed my ass once and told me it was nice." He shrugged, like it was no big deal. "WEre you... out?"

'Yeah... Everyone I knew, knew I liked... who I liked. Shane did, huh?"

"Yeah, I nearly threw him out of my truck when he did... It was before him and Lori started hooking up. I think he migth ahve jsut been sex starved." He laughed./ "Too bad he didn't know about you- huh?" He giggled and T-Dog flsuhed.

"Eww... I... am not a fan of fluffy hair on a dude, plus im pretty sure he was a serious dominant in bed." Daryl nodded. "What about you? You have someone?" Daryl paused, then nodded.

'Dont want to talk about them." He muttered.

"Ok..." He understood, he really did. He had lost his boyfriend and his mother on one fateful day. He watched Daryl shudder suddenly and look away from him again. he placed each of the containers into the truck. There were six total. They each held three, and they were full.

Carol gave Daryl a hug when he got back. The man pulled away from it. TDog noticed, Carol didn't.

The next day they started out early. Taking a route that TDog had marked on the map. It was about ninty miles before they finally found a gas station. The bled it, filling up all of the cars and then they filled the seven jugs for gas that they kept. Daryl and Glenn went into the store, keeping sharp eyes and fast feet. They harvested all of the things that they could, Quite a bit of water, but not a lot of food. They had plenty of water, and enough food, if they rationed very carefully. Daryl huffed the slightest sigh when he found the liquor. He looked more then happy. Glenn watched him slip the bottles into his bag. He mentally noted Daryl was a fan of the finer points of alcohol- he ignored the budwiser and other beers completely, like they weren't even there. He frowned, picking up a small toy car. Glenn frowned and stuffed it into his bag as well. It was jsut a model he never had, a stupid collection he started when he was a kid. They were all still in his appartment in Atlanta, but it didn't change the fact that he liked them, and wanted to complete his collection. May he'd give it to Carl for his brithday, but for a moment he wanted to pretend it was like it used to be. He heard Daryl let out the most pathetic cry and the man stumbled back from one of the displays in fear.

"Wahts wrong, Daryl?"

"Rat..." The man hissed. 'J-just surprised me, is all." His southern drawl didn;t cover the terror in his vopice, his face was white as a sheet.

"Are you gunna be ok?"

'Yeah... Yeah, Im jsut... I just... dun like rats much, like 'em much at all."

"Yeah." Glenn shot Daryl a gentle, calculating glance then sighed. "Soda..." He muttered, staring at the cartons. Daryl had already walked away, exploring deeper into the store. The man looked very interested in something. He carefully pushed the back door to the store open. He smiled. there was nice truck in good condition sitting outside. He needed a truck again, his motor cycle was a gas guzzler. He looked around carefully then checked out the bed of the truck. There was a huge tarp in the back.

"Daryl, what are you doing?"

"I want to check out this truck." He muttered, he opened the door to the truck bed and it creaked saddly, but not loudly. He reached in and paused. "Keep your aim trained in there, kay?" He clutched the tarp and yanked it away. Glenn barely reacted to what was in the bed, but Daryl did, He let out a shriek and lept back, like it was a walker in the truck bed. his scream was much like Lori's had been last time she saw a walker. The bed was crawlign with rats, there were about seventeen, maybe more. Within seconds the entire group had rounded the corner and was standing in the parking lot with them, and the truck.

"What happened, it everyone ok?" Daryl went to speak, but before he could some of the rats came out and skittered towards Daryl. Daryl went pale again, much like he had in the store. he cried out again when on of the rats started to crawl up his leg. then another, and another. Daryl let out another ear shatter scream and started to thrash, kicking and trying to get the rats off. Of course, him panicing just made the rats more interested in him.

"Daryl, hold still!" Rick exclaimed, 'Stop screaming! Jesus Christ!"

"Get them off!" He smacked one, but it clung to him, digging its little claws and teeth into him. "Get them off!" Daryl repeated, suddenly stilling, looking like he was going to faint, or vomit, or both. "Pl-Please." He clenched his teeth, tears in his eyes. Glenn moved forwards first, and gently lifted one off his shoulder, he shooed it along, then the next, and the next. Finally, Daryl was rid of the vermin, and stood there, shaking and blushing.

"Are you... uhm... Alright?" Daryl turned a darker shade of red.

"Hate rats." He answered, swiping his hand over his eyes, trying to act like it didn't happen. "I... uhm..." He blushed. "WE should... go..."

"Theres no one in the area, we've got time, Daryl-"

'guys! Come check it out!" Glen squealed, he was next to the truck. "Theres so much... food." There were cans and cans of food in the back of the truck, not in the bed, but behidn the seats. in the bed of the truck there were bags of money, and the skeleton of a man, on hand on the money. He was dead, his skull was ripped open, and there was nothing left on his body. Daryl shuddered again, thinking about the fact that the rats... well, they did that, they cleaned the bones... and... stripped him, or her... there was no really telling by then, unless you knew boens, and Daryl didn't. They all looked the same to him, without flesh. Based on the clothes, it was probably a dude, but the clothes were mostly scraps, it could have been anything.

"Keys in the ignition." Rick said, smiling.

"good... I was... hoping to take the truck, my motorcylce is a gas guzzler, but I need a vehicle, expecially if im gunna have a passenger., and this truck... well..." He shrugged, his voice was still wavering with fear, but he was trying to act like they hadn't seen him like that. T-Dog watched him with interest. He had an irational fear of rats, and T-Dog wanted to know why, maybe it had something to do with his childhood, Daryl had mentioned once, something about a 'rat infested basement'... "I know this type of truck, it gets the best gas mileage ever... Had one once, I could drive to and from school for a month on one tank..." That didn't mean much to them, but T-Dog realized it meant Daryl was a good little school goer... so sexy...

Daryl went to the seat and turned the key, the truck roared to life, Daryl paused, reading the fuel gage. Tdog watched the way his body moved into the car, god he was so... hot...

"... Just as a change of scenery, people to talk to, ya know?" T-Dog didn't even realize they were talking, until his name was said. "...TDog and Daryl..."

"What?" Tdog shook his head. "what we doing?"

"Trading up cars, sicne Daryl has the truck now, I figured you and he could ride together for a while, and I could ride with Lori..." Carol suggested.

"Yeah... good Idea."

Lori noted that no one would let he drive since her accident on the road that night. she didn't say anything because she didn't mind so much. She liked that since hse had started to show, she wasn't aloud to lift anything, or really do much around camp, she liked being aloud to be lazy. It was nice... and her back was starting to hurt chronically. She went to sit in her car, and waited until Carol came to drive.

_**({Well thats it for now. I love you!**_

_**Also!**_

_**Im sorry about the dream... But... I had too!**_

_**Just a heads up theres going to be the sexies soon... I love you readers!**_

_**Thanks for your lovely comments, I love you all so much! ^.,^))**_


	6. Chapter 6

Daryl let out the cutest cry that night, as they slept in their cars. T-Dog just watched him, he didn't want to stop watching him. He didn't recognize the feeling of obsession blooming in his stomach. Daryl's eyes moved wildly behind his lids. T-Dog watched him sleep, even in the darkness he was hot. When he heard him gasp something changed in T-Dogs loins, he felt the blood pool. He had an over whelming urge to reach over and touched the other man, or to just lean closer to him. He watched Daryl shift against the window, moving his legs apart in his sleep. Obviously the nightmare was over, Daryl had relaxed. T-Dog had trained himself to 'think' an erection away, but it wasn't working. He just violently wanted to rip Daryl over, tear off his pants and fuck him until he screamed- even if it called every single fucking walker in the area. He knew the sex between them would be explosive. Daryl shifted again and T-Dog realized he saw the glint of eyes.

"Why are you staring at me?" Daryl's voice was soft and whiskery... so hot.

"Hm?" T-Dog blinked innocently.

"Your staring at me, woke me up..." He muttered shifting to face T-dog.

"Oh... was I? Im sorry, I was just thinking about... things... I must have... stared off into space and not realized it was you." He theorized, even thought he knew he was staring because Daryl was freaking gorgeous when he slept. He had that... blank look on his face, and sometimes he smiled.

"Oh." Daryl muttered. "Are you cold? I could hear you shivering from all the way over here."

"Oh... uhm, yeah a little."

"Here." Daryl shifted closer and shared his blanket with him. T-Dog smirked, it was easy to get Daryl closer to him. T-Dog would feel his heat, radiating off of him, like a space heater. With that thought on his mind, T-dog faded off. When he woke up that morning, Daryl was curled up, with his legs on his lap and his head resting on T-Dogs shoulder. He was literally curled around him, and T-Dog was in a sore sitting position. It must have gotten very cold sometime in the night, because the windows were coated with heavy frost, and T-Dog could see his breath, but under the blanket he was warm. Daryl mewled in his sleep and T-Dog blushed brightly. he moved his hand long enough to check his watch. It was nearly seven.

He didn't want anyone to see him and Daryl cuddling, even if he was ok with it, he had a feeling the racist wouldn't be so... ok with it. t-Dog was black and for all intensive purposes, Gay... Not a good mix when dealing with a Neo-Nazi.

"Hey... uhm... Daryl?" He nudged the other man who shifted then looked up at him with a tired smile.

"Hmm?"

"You're uh... making my leg go to sleep."

"Oh." Daryl moved away. 'Must have been cold..." T-Dog felt empty, suddenly, without the other man there.

Meanwhile...

Andrea shivered next to Michonne.

"Hey." The other woman smiled. "Did you sleep ok?"

"Yeah, as good as I could have, fucking freezing." She muttered.

"So, do we keep heading north today, or do we change directions?"

"If I know my group, and I do, rick is calling the shots. So... We need to go east now... Maybe we'll catch up with them,"

"I..." Michonne trailed off. "I get hoping to find your friends, Andrea, but... well... i think we need to focus on finding shelter, It dropped to freezing last night, and neither of us have the proper clothes for such weather..." she shook her head. "So I think we should head for the gas station I saw on my map, maybe theres a car there or somethini we could use for transportation." Andrea nodded.

"Alright... Its just... Neverrmind." She shook her head and sighed.

"Lets get going."

Later That Day...

Daryl squeaked when T-Dog suddenly kissed his neck. He felt the other mans hand slide down to his bottom, and into his pants. He gave the lightest squeeze, and Daryl ripped back, jumping behind the tree he was using as an aiming place for his urine.

"What the hell," He demanded. "was that about?" Daryl groaned, noticing that in his rush to move away from T-Dog, he'd accidentally pissed on his boots.

"Sorry... I... dont know what came over me." T-Dog rubbed the back of his head, he had an overwhelming urge to stare at Daryl while he put himself away and re-buttoned his pants, but, he resisted.

"Dont. ever again." Daryl snapped, pointing at him.

"We have a destination!" Carol announced when they got back to camp. rick had a map laid out on the hood of Daryl's new truck.

"this truck just keeps on giving, Daryl. I went to get a can of fruit when I found this." rick exclaimed, oozing happiness.

"Daryl, are you bleeding?" Hershel asked and Daryl looked down.

"Oh, yeah its just a scrape."

"What happened?"

"I was takin a piss, and I jumped." he answered.

"Can I see?" Hershel asked carefully, and Daryl shrugged, lifting up his shirt to expose the oozing cut to the others. It was plainly a tree bark scrape. "Want some anti-biotic for it, or something?" Daryl shook his head.

"Naw, it'll be fine, I've had worse, Doc, seriously."

"Yeah, like an arrow to your side?" Daryl frowned, and looked away.

"Anyway, theres a river, here." Rick pointed out. "And if you follow it, it spills into a massive lake, and, in the middle of that lake is-"

"Jeriko Island..." Daryl interrupted, eyes wide.

"oh... how did you know about that?"

"Uhm... i've been..." He muttered. he knew, suddenly that he should tell them, but... he wasn't going to, not with T-Dog molesting him when he tried to go to the bathroom. "theres a huge lake house on the island, and it was owned by a man and his wife, at least before the Apocalypse. I uhm, the guy... I was friends with him, he uh... let me stay there when I was younger, for a little while, like a year, longer then that." He stumbled over his words. "Its a good place... to go... I... I wonder if the owners are still there." why did he mention the wife? The woman had divorced her husband, she ended up with their house on the mainland, and her husband, or, ex husband- got the island. She got all the money, she was good with the split, she had never like the island- hated it in fact. The island was actually very large, and ripe with deer.

"So is it a good idea to go there?"

"Yes!" Daryl cursed himself for the sudden, immediate proclamation. He obviously didn't even think about it.

"To get there... that's the question. Is there a way to the island other then by boat?" Daryl paused.

"There's a bridge, but you can only lift and lower it from the main control room on the island. Plus theres several locking gates, its all electric, but the island has its own generator. Its all locked with codes, and the last time I was there, well... none of the gates had been lifted or lowered in years." He paused and addressed the map/. "If we are here... then... the bridge is... here. Its about a week from here... That's if we take the indirection, avoiding the cities, here, and here... If we really play it safe and avoid the city here- its a smaller one, but a city none the less, it'll take us another day or so... Maybe three, at the most."

"How long if you go through the cities?"

"Four days, maybe three. If we don't stop at all, we might be able to do it, but... Cars are loud."

"Hmm..." Rick frowned. "How about a vote then, who wants to go through the cities?" No one raised their hands except Rick. "And through just one city?" T-Dog, Glenn and Carol Raised their hands. "And the rest of you say go around?" Nods and murmurs came from the crowd. "Then that's what we do."

The first day of travel was alright, although T-Dog desperately stared at Daryl the entire time. Daryl was mostly oblivious- immersed in the idea that David would be on the island. Daryl would finally know what happened and if he was alright.

'Daryl." T-Dog said softly.

"What?"

"Are. do you... Uhm... Can I..." He sighed. "Listen im desperate." He said softly.

"what about?" Daryl actually seemed worried.

"I... Well... I need to go for a walk." He was lying, although his legs were sore from being cooped up for the entire day, he actually wanted to ask Daryl if he could do something- anything sexual with him. He wanted Daryl to reach over while he was driving and slide those beautiful hands into his hands and... just pull, just once. just touch him for five seconds. Daryl glanced at him.

"do you want me to pull over for you?"

"Yeah... I need to stretch my legs." Daryl frowned.

"It'll have to wait, T-Dog, the sun is about to go down, and... well, you might get lost. I mean, your dark skin and all." T-Dog frowned at the comment- but smirked at the over whelming urge to slap the other man- until he noticed he was smiling, (grinning, actually) from ear to ear.

Later In some Underground area- Merle...

Merle shifted out of his room when he heard the soft cry's. They half sounded like cries of pain. He walked down to Toby's room and opened the door.

"Toby?" He called softly. He squinted into the darkroom, but couldn't see. He could still hear the cries, and they had to be coming from Toby. His hand explored the wall until he found the light switch.

"Toby?" He called again, seeing the lump in the bed. He walked to it and pulled the blanket down. the boy was twisting and turning, sobbing in his sleep. "Hey kiddo, wake up!" Merle caught his shoulders gently and shook him. Toby flew awake, throwing himself out of the bed and onto the floor. He sat their panting, eyes wide and scattered for several long moments.

"Merle?" He asked, finally getting control of himself.

"Im right here." Merle said, and with that the boy burst into tears. "Heyhey! Its alright, shh." Merle slid over to him and awkwardly wrapped his arms around his shoulders. I boy turned against his chest and sobbed into his chest hair. "Its ok. Your safe, its alright, shhh." He said whatever came to his mind, while he rocked back and forth with Toby in his arms. It was awkward but it seemed fairly... right. Like it was ok to be doing this. When it came - Merle thought- to it Toby wasn't a Nigger, he wasn't a male or female, he wasn't a child- he was just another human being that saw his family torn apart. It was strange, his reaction to the boy was unlike any he'd never had to someone- especially an African American. "Its ok." Merle murmured, the boy had gone slack in his arms, asleep again. Merle lifted him gently and he moaned.

"Mommy." He muttered. "Wake up..."

"Hush now Toby, wake, no more nightmares bitty boy." Merle didn't even realize he was calling Toby what he always called Daryl.

((Sorry it took me so long to update- I was really sick... I dont know what do to next, I'll probably just skip to when they get to the island... maybe... idk. You can leave your suggestions if you'd like. ^^

Don't forget to review, Keeper Really LOVES reviews! O_O))


	7. Chapter 7

_**"do you want me to pull over for you?"**_

_**"Yeah... I need to stretch my legs." Daryl frowned.**_

_**"It'll have to wait, T-Dog, the sun is about to go down, and... well, you might get lsot. I mean, your dark skin and all." T-Dog frowned at the comment and had an over whelming urge to slap the other man- until he noticed he was smiling, (grinning, actually) from ear to ear.**_

_**Merle murmured, the boy had gone slack in his arms, asleep again. Merle lifted him gently and he moaned.**_

_**"Mommy." He muttered. "Wake up..."**_

_**"Hush now Toby, wake, no more nightmares bitty boy." Merle didn't even realize he was calling Toby what he always called Daryl.**_

Merle was quiet the next day, his mind was numb. Tobyhad woke up and shoved him out of his room, suddenly becoming quite... embaressed by Merle being there and seeing him in his moment of weakness. He didn't speak to him the next day, either, not until lunch, when Aria slammed her hands down on the table and demanded they talk, before she started monolougueing.

"It was just embaressing." toby murmured. "Why;d you have to come into my room, why didn't you just ignore it?" He hissed.

"'Cause I thou't... I... I thou't a walker got in some how." He answered. "M' sorry Toby."

"whatever." He muttered."

Later...

(About 3 days)

T-Dog sighed, Daryl was asleep against the window, drool hanging out of his open mouth.

'I bet he can do all kinds of things with that mouth.' T-dog thought nastily, 'Bet he knows all kind of tricks... and... shit.' T-dog groaned unhappily when visions of pure amazing sexual content hit him, making him sprout an errection.

_T-dog pulled the car over, and pulled Daryl out._

_"What are you doing?" Daryl blinked innocently up at him wiht those big, sexy eyes of him. _

_"Its the end of the world, Sugar, lets have some fun before we get torn appart, hows that sound?" Daryl gave him that innocent dumb expression as if he didn't know what T-Dog was talking about. T-dog pulled him closer sliding his hands down his back and to his perfect round behind, those cheeks he had waited so long to get ahold of. He wanted to grab hold of them and bite them, but not in a bad way. He kissed the others neck, moaning against it, he lapped at his ear lobe. Daryl still had that dumb expression of innocence of his face, but it shifts when he realized what T-Dog wants. T-Dog ghosted his hands down his body again and again. Daryl giggled sweetly and moved closer, kissing the other mans neck, and shoulder, and collar bone. He had to stand up, on his toes to kiss the others mouth, hard and hungry against his. T-Dog practually threw him down and relieved him of those pesky pants, then his shirt._

_"God your body is... so..." T-Dog smiled. "Exactly perfect..." He leaned down and lapped at his erect nipples, and worked his hand down between the others legs. T-Dog pushed his mouth against the others and moaned into it. Daryl's unskilled hands funbled with T-Dogs belt and then his manhood..._

T-dog jumped when he heard DAryl's voice, light and pained.

"David." He breathed, in a whimper. T-Dog looked over and frowned. "David..." He repeated the name several times, groaning and mumbling unhappily in his sleep. T-Dog errection withered. He suddenly imagined another man. Tall, and muscular holding Daryl against his body, mumbling in his ear, telling him he loved him, and it was a turn off.

The car Rick was in slowed and pulled to the side of the rode, the others followed suit. T-Dog wondered if they were switching sides again. He looked over at Daryl and decided not to wake him, since he had gone back to the peaceful drooling on himself sleep again. The sun was gracing the night sky again, turning the clouds pink and orange. T-Dog got out easily.

"Why we stopping?"

"Need a break from driving, lets set up camp and eat, yeah?" Rick said, some of the others nodded.

"Where Daryl?" Carol asked softly.

"he's still asleep."

"Oh. I'll go wake him."carol smiled, and walked over to the truck. He looked very cute all curled up ina ball on theseatlike that. His mouth was open and he was drooling. She slid into the car and touched his shoulder gently.

"Mm..." His eyes creaked open and he smiled.

"Hi Carol." He muttered. he stretched, yawning. "Why have we stopped?"

"Rick wants us to stretch our legs and eat some quick dinner." She answered. "Breakfast... more like breakfst." He smiled.

"I could eat..." He mumbled. "Im starving... and I have to pee." He shifted out of the blanket and stretched. "Where T-Dog?"

"He's over yonder, helping Lori make breakfast."

"Good." He opened the door and swept his eyes around. He grabbed his blade and cross bow and pulled on his shoes. He carefully picked himself through the woods until he found a place away from the others. He swept his eyes around as he removed himself. He had never needed to pee so bad in his entire life. He sighed in relief and turned around. He gasped to see T-Dog leaning against a tree. At least his back was too him.

"What the hell are ya doin' out 'ere? Aint got no privacy 'round yew fuckers."

"I didn't want you to get eaten by this fucker." Daryl fixed him pants and walked over. The zombie was a few feet from them, in a pile on the ground where T-dog had taken it down. Daryl rubbed his hands off on his pants.

"Cool." He slapped T-Dog on the back and went to move on. t-dog grabbed his wrist.

"I..." He cleared his throat and Daryl frowned.

"Let go T-Dog."

"No." He mumbled. "Daryl... I... like you. I dont even know why. I've never liked a white guy before, especially not one that can be so... racist."

"Uhm..."

"dont, just dont speak. I... I want you." He pulled the Redneck against him and Daryl's face drooped.

"Let. Me. Go." He hissed.

"Why? You dont have a girlfriend or boyfriend or anything! Why can't you and I just... I dunno... be together once. Please? Your driving me crazy. Just have sex with me once, we dont even have to have sex!"

"I said let me go!"

"No!" T-dog held him tighter and he swore he heard Daryl whimper. Daryl's face was stern though. T-Dog held him for several more seconds, nuzzling his neck with his nose. He licked the long collumn of Daryl's neck, and he felt the other man bristle. "Please Daryl... dont play coy with me." Daryl made a noice that could have been disgust, but T-Dog could hear the distress under it. "I could give you a blow job! Im really really good at them." Daryl let out a tiny sound. "I... I just want to be close to you daryl. I want you, I want to know you, see you, hold you... I want to be yours and I want you to be mine. and I know its foolish... but..." T-dog was faintly aware that he was crying, but he didn't care. "Its your eyes! Your hands... your pure skill at surviving."

"Jesus Christ T-dog let me go! Have you gone completely nuts." his voice was straing. Showing that he was probably having toruble breathing- not that T-dog was surprized, he was holding the shorter male as tightly as he could becase he was wiggling so much.

"Why? tell me why you wont let any one get close to you! Tell me!"

"No! Just go to hell T-Dog!" T-dog bit down on Daryl's collar bone and Dayrl jerked violently, crying out in surprize and pain.

"T-dog!" it was Carol's voice. T-dog dropped Daryl in surprize. He stumbled back then wrenched around and slapped T-Dog across the face as hard as he could. Then he collected himself, and walked away. T-dog stood their stunned and Daryl was rubbing his bleeding collar bone.

That was how he came into the new camp. He was muttered on about 'fucking insanity.'

"Whoa! Daryl, what happened?"

"fuck off, It weren;t no fucking walker." He snapped, glaring hatefully. He kicked a near by tire then cried out, jumping back and then up and down in pain.

A few days later...

The moss covered bridge was decrepid and old looking. Just like Daryl remembered it. The further half of the bridge was lifted: obscuring the way to the island. The bridge had several long cages on it- mostly so that David could keep the bridge down and not have to worry about people tresspassing.

Daaryl's heart fluttered. That bridge made him so... happy. He wanted to kiss someone, jump up and down and dance. He contained his joy be reminding himself that the man might not even be there.

There was a row of old boats floating in the water. He remembered those boats, he remembered racing David, and when he won turning his boat around and turning around to knock them both into the water. That island was three miles from the shore, it looked tiny from there.

"You guys shoulder drive to the end of the bridge, and lock the cages behind you. Glenn, T-Dog Maggie and I will paddle to the shore. I'll go to the control room with Maggie and lower the bridge, but not until i get the signal from you two. You two-" he pointed at T-dog and Glenn, "Will tromp around to the light house on the other side of the island- there should be a radio in there. give me a call when you find it. Once its lowered we'll all meet up at the other end of the bridge. Its a long paddle and hike. We should bring a little food along with us."

The island had already been over grown and hard to move around in... but the end of the world had not been kind. The island was losey with poison oak, and Ivy choked the trail Daryl was following.

"Its beautiful out here." Maggie muttered. "And so cool... I thought it was going to be like a sauna, like the woods out side our farm..."

"Its the caves under us, their called the artic caves because they have a natural tempature of about 30 degrees... celcius."

"Whoa! What happened to your accent?"

"Hhuh? oh..." he shrugged. "Thats the island too... I liked to hide my accent when I lived here... it was far more fun to become brit'ish." He grinned cheekily.

"Are you even southern?"

"Oh yes... of course I am... I just... Merle used to talk without an accent too."

"Merle? Whos... merle?"

"Oh... yeah... Hes my brother. was. Is... I don' even know if he's still around anymore. He... uhm... Hes one of the people I lost."

"We're you married?"

"Uhm... not exactly. I had a... lover i guess." He shrugged. "MErle came and got me and made me leave my lover and... yeeah..."

the tower was massive, and way high above them.

'Is that where we're going?" Daryl nodded.

"Its about seven stories. Hope your in for a walk. I just hope I dont have to turn on the generator. We'd have to wait about four more hours for it to power up the island." He stretched and sighed..

((Hey this is way shorter then usual, Im sorry... but thats because NO ONE IS COMMENTING! comment... do it... DO IT! love you! MWUA! ^.,^

Also, I'll be uploading a NEW story soon- Its a Batman fanfic... or maybe its Young Justice, os if you like them, then yeah. :D ))


	8. Chapter 8

"Its beautiful out here." Maggie muttered. "And so cool... I thought it was going to be like a sauna, like the woods out side our farm..."

"Its the caves under us, their called the artic caves because they have a natural tempature of about 30 degrees... celcius."

"Whoa! What happened to your accent?"

"Hhuh? oh..." he shrugged. "Thats the island too... I liked to hide my accent when I lived here... it was far more fun to become brit'ish." He grinned cheekily.

"Are you even southern?!"

"Oh yes... of course I am... I just... Merle used to talk without an accent too."

"Merle? Whos... merle?"

"Oh... yeah... Hes my brother. was. Is... I don' even know if he's still around anymore. He... uhm... Hes one of the people I lost."

"We're you married?"

"Uhm... not exactly. I had a... lover i guess." He shrugged. "MErle came and got me and made me leave my lover and... yeeah..."

the tower was massive, and way high above them.

'Is that where we're going?!" Daryl nodded.

"Its about seven stories. Hope your in for a walk. I just hope I dont have to turn on the generator. We'd have to wait about four more hours for it to power up the island." He stretched and sighed..

_**Later...**_

From the top of the tower they would see the entire island, in every dirrection. The top of the tower was simple glass, nd controls.

"Are there any walkers on this island, you think?" Maggie was behind Daryl on the last set of staircases.

"Probably not many, the island itsself is pretty huge, but its Privately owned by a man named David and his sister Suzzanne, and her husband Alecto. They had a bed and breakfast on the one side of the island near the main house, but when the infection hit it was out of season, so it was closed... Maybe the gardener Trinket... So 3 or four walkers..." He trailed off thinking about David as a walker, face ripped off, maybe his arm- He made a sound of horror. and shook his head.

"Whats wrong?"

"Just a bad thought in my head. See, when I was younger I ran away from home, well I got mugged by a couple of guys. After they had beaten me up, they thought it would be funny to take my clothes and toss me off the bridge. David found me the next morning and rescued me... He and I were... best friends after that. They gave me a job and I lived on this island for several years." He sighed, reaching for the door handle. "This is it." He presented his blade and turned the handle slowly. It caught, making a 'locked' sound and daryl huffed.

"Whats wrong now?"

"Its locked. We can go back downstairs and get the key from the main house..."

"Move asside, sug." Maggie pushed past him and knelt down. She examined the lock and smirked. "Its a simple bar lock. Same one daddy kept on the sweets when I was little." He grinned at her and laughed.

"You are a whole lot of woman, you know that?" HE oaded his cross bow and lifted it, keeping his eyes trained on the door. She pulled her bobby pin out of ehr hair and slid it into the lock. She fiddled for a few minutes and it finally clicked open. "Ok,ok now back up, just in case..." He leaned over and she slid back, he pushed the door open and tensed. The scene inside was gorey at best. One of the windows was covered in a think layer of coagulated walker blood. In one of the control room chairs lay a limp and lifeless man. His skin was too dark to be Davids. It twitched and looked up at Daryl when he walked over to it. Daryl took several steps back.

"Whoa!" He looked the man up and down. "Thats probably who they got to replace me, I dont recognize him..." Daryl shot easily, taking the walker down with an arrow. The body thunked to the ground and daryl retrived his arrow. "Looks like he tried to kill himself, and missed." Daryl assessed easily. he looked around the rest of the room and found it empty. The radio crackled and Daryl went over to it.

"Daryl? This is Glenn. Daryl? Come in Daryl?"

"hey." He grabbed the radio and pushed the button. "Find any walkers on your hike?"

"Just one. A woman."

"What was she wearin?"

"Uhm..."

"Humor me."

"A dress with polkadots."

"Suzanne..." He sighed. "Anything else?"

"Nope, no trace that anyone has been on this island in a while."

"Ok, listen, go into the side room of the light house and theres a cabinate with a map, grab the map. Theres also a lever. I need yout ot pump the lever up and down for five seconds, then take abreak for about ten seconds, then pump it again, then go back to the bridge. Wheres T-dog?"

"He's keeping watch."

"Ok, good. Tell him to go to the main room, theres should be a system of Tv's, thats what the lever is for, we should be able to see every part of the islands from those screens."

The controls were dusty, but once Daryl powered them up, they seemed fine. He found the one to lower the bridge and pushed the button.

Meanwhile...

Everyone jumped whent he bridge groaned out, lowering slowly. It whined loudly and slapped down onto the other side of the bridge. Rick nodded for them to start moving. They opened cage after cage, and Rick stayed behind the carivan, closing and locking them behind him. He kept his eyes open. It took forever and the going was slow, but eventually they got to the otherside.

Maggie walked to the door.

"Hey Maggie, want to see the best way to get down stairs?"

"Uhm... suire?" Daryl grinned a little childishly and sat down oin the railing. He pushed himself off, sliding down, giggling the entire time.

"Your turn." He called up when he got to the first landing. she sat downa nd squeezed her eyes closed before pushing off. She squaled with delite and cried out a little when she hit the bottom.

"Wow! Thatr was..."

"Fun right? And way faster then walking."

"This is why you wanted to go to the tower huh?"

"The spiral stair case in the Light house just didn't work for this sort of thing." He answered. "Anyway, you go after about 3 seconds, ok?" He sat down and pushed off, she counted quietly then followed suit. They did this until they found them selves at the bottom.


	9. Chapter 9

**((A few things if it would please the court... This is sort of based on Dark Harbor... sort of not.I didn't like the idea of Daryl being a man steeler so I cut a character out and added a few of my own, but yes, its sort of a cross over, but with some major difference.**

**Also, Im not updating as often as I'd like because I dont have internet right now... So sorry my lovlies!**

**And last but not least Chapter 8... Im SO SORRY! My computer and I were having an arguement and I have to admit my computer was right, chapter 8 was mostly chapter 7, so please forgive me! I fixed it (sorta) And again, Im sorry! Please dont lynch me! And thanks to the person who pointed out the error!))**

_**Maggie walked to the door.**_

_**"Hey Maggie, want to see the best way to get down stairs?"**_

_**"Uhm... suire?" Daryl grinned a little childishly and sat down oin the railing. He pushed himself off, sliding down, giggling the entire time.**_

_**"Your turn." He called up when he got to the first landing. she sat downa nd squeezed her eyes closed before pushing off. She squaled with delite and cried out a little when she hit the bottom.**_

_**"Wow! Thatr was..."**_

_**"Fun right? And way faster then walking."**_

_**"This is why you wanted to go to the tower huh?"**_

_**"The spiral stair case in the Light house just didn't work for this sort of thing." He answered. "Anyway, you go after about 3 seconds, ok?" He sat down and pushed off, she counted quietly then followed suit. They did this until they found them selves at the bottom.**_

_Later..._

Daryl and T-Dog hadn't spoke for several days. Not since the near-rape insident. That didn't mean Daryl couldn't feel the other mans eyes on him every second of the day. Even when they weere in seperate vehicles, it was like T-Dog was staring at him. It didn't take much to get settled, and Daryl was working up his courage to go to the main house- it wasn't long before Rick asked him.

"Daryl."

"Yeah?" Daryl looked up from what he was doing and Rick gave a half smile.

"I wanted to ask you about the main house-"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Well, T-Dog was saying he'd like to go check it out-"

"No!" He choked. "Ah... I... Imean... not without me..."

"Thats that I wanted to ask you... but i know you two aren't on speaking terms right now... so..."

"no...no it'll be fine. We'll just... it'll be fine." T-dog was the last person he wanted to have with him on that particular venture, but if he had too, he had too.

"I'll come too." Rick stated easily, rolling his shoulders back in a way that Daryl found rather attractive. Daryl shook his head. He didn't know what had come over him the last few days, but he was finding the strangest things sexy in all the men in camp, and some of the women too.

"I'll go prepare, y'all can find me."

T-Dog found him a few minutes later.

"So... you and I are going to go up to the main house, right?" Daryl nodded.

"I dont particularly want you along." Daryl mumbled, glancing up from where he was tying his shoe. He pointedly looked back at what he was doing and pulled the two loops tight, only to have one snap off in his hand. He jumped in surprize and blinked. 'Fuck.' He thought darkly. 'Bad omens and a broken shoelace...' He grumbled something out and went to his truck. He located a freash pair and shrugged off the feeling of ill in his body. It would be ok, he had been meaning to replace the shoelaces for a while.

Once they were finally ready Daryl, T-Dog, Rick and Maggie started off towards the house, Leaving behind Glenn, Hershel, Beth, Carol, Lori and Carl. They broke into two groups once they got to the house ittself. The house was massive, several stories and very old. It was beautiful. Recently but vines had started to retake the foundation and walls. Daryl could practically taste davids lips against his. He knew David had to be there... He had to be. T-dog and Daryl looped around back and Rick and Maggie crept up the front steps.

"Hey, Daryl."

"What?" Dayrl whispered harshly.

"Im sorry about what happened before. I mean... I dont know what came over me, alright? Im sorry."

"Whatever T-Dog. Just leave it." He mumbled and creaped up the back steps. He took a shallow breath and closed his eyes for a second, listening. He silently turned the door knob and pushed the door open. Stale air rushed out, into his lungs. His heart sank. The house hadn't been opened in so long.

He did a quick sweep and stepped inside.

"Keep watch out here." He whispered, and crept ideeper inside. He shivered and bit his lower lip. Just inside was the kitchen. A layer of dust had settled over the things inside, but everything looked as he had left it. He went to the next door and slipped through, pulling it shut behind him. The next room was the studio, where David worked on his art. There was a new painting set up, unfinished. There were two doors to chose from now. One door led to the living room and then the would be the stairs up, and the front door, and finally the main floor bathroom. The other door led to the basement and the garage. He chose the living room door only to find it jammed. He frowned, and ill sank into his stomach again, something was seriously wrong here. He turned to the basement and reached for the handle. The door was locked from the inside. Hope blossomed. The basement had a second kitchen and was easier to defend then the first two floors, it also had an escape route. That had to be why all the doors were locked, they were down there, surviving. He knew that generally there were two locks. He back tracked outside.

"Where you going?"

"to the front, the doors are locked, I need the key from the attic, but I cant get through thatway." He greated Rick, who surprized him by still being outside.

"The door is locked, blocked with something I think... you wanna break a window or something?"

"no." Daryl went over the elaborate deck. "See back before, way before this island was a massive plantation. The owner was terrified that indians would sac his house one day so he had his slaves install an intricate system of tunnels and secret rooms... God I used to wonder around in them all day long... try to find em all..." He trailed off and ran his hands over the wood, trying to find that secret switch. "Theres four enterances that still open, this one, which lets out in the library of the second floor, one in the basement, which lets out in a cave a few miles west of here... they are all connected they just... aren't easy to go through, the most dirrect routes are here..." He mumbled. "there you are." He slipped his finger into a hole in a board and pulled. A board on the other side of the deck popped up. "Push that down with your foot twice." Rick obeyed and a switch next to the door lowered and daryl stood and pulled it down. "You might was to take a few steps back, T-dog." T-sog looked down and stepped to the side. When he did Daryl pushed the lever back up, and a door popped open where T-dog had been standing.

'This island is full of surprizes." Maggie mumbled. Daryl nodded.

"Maggie and I will get the keys form the attic and finish the sweep, Rick, T-dog you stay out here, and keep watch." He smiled and slipped down into the tunnel. David's mother had loved the tunnels as much as Daryl had, and had lights installed in some of them, the walls were made of stone and metal so they weren't about to collapse but some were destroyed when a hurricane slammed into the house fifteen years before Daryl met the family. It took Daryl a minute to find the switch in the absolute blackness.

"Ok, come on down, Maggie." Maggie obeyed.

Once their voices faded Rick turned to T-Dog.

"What did you do?"

"What?" T-dog blinked, confused.

"Daryl, everytime you come near him he tenses up. What happened?"

"Oh... Uhm..." T-dog bit his lip.

"What did you do, T-Dog?"

"I think its because of what happened to his brother."

"no... no this is new. You did something more recent." T-Dog rolled his eyes, there was no way he was going to tell Officer Fucking Friendly what happened between Daryl and him in the woods.

"Ok fine, you wanna know the truth? Daryl and I were talking about lovers and I accidently let it slip that I'm bisexual, gay. I like men, alright? He said that he was ok with it, but he's been acting kinda funny since. Kinda stand offish, so he's probably a little freaked out by the idea that Im bi." He shrugged.

Rick eyed him.

"Im sorry it worked out like that. I could talk to him, if you'd like-"

"No! I... I-I mean uh, no, dont its ok. That will just make him uncomfortable. He'll get over it." rick eyed him again then sighed.

"Ok."

Meanwhile...

Daryl Pulled himself up into the main room and sighed. Maggie was a second behind him. He helped her onto the platform and pushed on the walls until he found the one that was the door. It was the back of the book case, and it was slightly open.

"Ok," He whispered, "Im going to push this open a little, get your weapons ready, ok?" Maggie nodded. Daryl put his weight against the door and looked back. "Ready? 1...2...3!" He gave a shove and the door slid open a few feet. Maggie quickly filled the gap with gun and body. Once they were sure the room was empty, Daryl opened the door a little more and Maggie looked around it really qucikly. they finally left the opening. Daryl breathed in relief and went to the next window. He looked out to the vast expanse of trees. It was beautiful. Daryl sighed and pressed his forhead agaisnt the glass.

Daryl walked to the next door and this time Daryl aimed, and maggie opened the door. The hall was empty, but Daryl could see streaks of old blood stained there.

"Ok, thats the attic door there, we'll check the rest of the house later..."

Daryl pushed open the attic door and looked around. His heart sank. All the things he'd left when Merle ripped him from his life, were neatly stacked in boxes, with his name written on the side. Although it wasn't _his_ name. During his stay on the island Daryl referred to himself as Jack. Once his and David;s relationship turned more sexual, became more in depth, Daryl told David his real name and some about his past. Daryl looked around easily, until he found the light switch.

"Whose Jack?" Maggie asked, tapping her fingernails on a box. Daryl shrugged.

"Uh.." He shrugged again. "Me."

"I thought you name was daryl."

"Well it is."

"Ok, cuz that would have been really embarrassing, you know? I've been calling you Daryl but your name is Jack..."

"Its just... a nickname." Daryl found the keys and moved back to the door.

"C'mon lets go." He snapped.

In the hall every door was closed. Daryl did a quick sweep through, found no mobile walkers. He got to the last door at the end of the hall. He paused and put his hand on the dark wood. He closed his eyes and pressed his ear to the door.

"What are you doing, Daryl?"

'Shh." He hummed, sliding his hand to the handle. Maggie grabbed his wrist as his hand landed on the handle.

'Daryl! What if theres a walker in there!" Daryl paused and let his hand slide from the handle.

"Im sorry." He mumbled. He looked to the stair case and nodded. "Go ahead." He followed her down the stairs into the musty living room. Daryl nearly cried out when he saw the scene. It looked like it had been ransaked. things were off the shelves, papers strewn across the floor. Just like in the kitchen a layer of dust had settled over everything. Daryl started by unlocking the door to the foyer. He stepped inside, it was as silent as a tomb, no walkers, and everything was in order. He followed his feet to the front door and threw the lock. He opened the door and smiled out at Rick.

"And whose calling at the door at this hour?" He said in his best womanly british voice. Rick laughed. Daryl closed the door and slid the chain lock. Rick and T-Dog followed him back into the house.

"Its a wreck in here." Daryl frowned.

"Yeah..." Pain ripped into his heart, every step told him that David wasn't there, that he was never there. It was too painful to think, or even consider. He led them through the house, and finally to the basement.

"The basement is just as big as the rest of the house, if not bigger, theres four bed rooms down there, another living room then it goes another floor down, and theres the wine cellar, the second kitchen and another tunnel breaks off. Theres four beds and two couches with hidabeds. They're parents were obsessed with having enough beds for every one, if they ever had company stay the night. Upstairs was David's bedroom, his sisters and her husbands... Any hands that worked in the summer stayed upstairs also. David mostl;y lived here alone though..." Alone with me. Daryl wanted to add, but didn't. "If the end came, I know the rest of his family would have come this way... and half the towns people..."

"Daryl."

'What?"

"Are you prepared?"

"For what?" Daryl asked, staring determinedly at the key in the lock.

"David was your... friend right?"

"We were very close. He saved my life after I got mugged and beaten and thrown in the water." He answered.

"Are you prepared to find what we might find down there?"

"... Yeah. I... I think I am... If... If he's turned I can put him down. He;d do the same for me." Daryl answered. Daryl turned the key, adn took a deep breath. He laid his hand on the handle, and tried to stow the fact that he was shaking. He turned the handle slowly, and let his breath out with a woosh. Finally the door clicked open, and then the lights. Daryl stepped down first. The air was cool and clear. Everything gleamed.

Daryl moved into the basement, down the 23 stairs, onto the soft carpet. He swept his cross bow around and smelled the air. It didn't have an odor, he refused to detect that it smelled of _him_, David.

"Any body home?" Daryl called, loudly. his voice just echoed. They waited several long moments before they moved into the expanse of the basement.

There was no one there, but some of the beds looked recently slept in. There were four beds like Daryl had said, two looked slept in, the other two it was hard to tell. Daryl didn't let hope gleam into his body again, he couldn't let himself be crushed.

Once they were sure the house was empty, they gathered up provisions then moved back to their camp.

"I'll clean it up, then we can move in there." Rick nodded.

"Good idea."

"I'll help you clean." T-Dog offered. '

"Whatever." Daryl mumbled. His body felt heavy. It felt like he just couldn't square his shoulders. For weeks he had been so excited, so positive that David would be on the island, that they would be together again. He could scarcely breath.

"Im sorry about your friend." Rick said, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder. Daryl shrugged the hand off.

The next day Daryl got up early, and went to work cleaning the house, he dusted, he made the beds, and he gathered up as many of the photo's oh him and David that he could find. He shoved them into the room he had already claimed at his. By mid day the house was passable, he felt like Carl would be safe, and so wold Lori and the developing fetus, and... especially Carol. He knew the woman would love the house, especially the library, and that it might that her mind off of Sophia, even if only for a few precious moments. The sun was high and hot in the sky, but the air was cool and clear. A few clouds drifted lazily in the blue expanse. Daryl felt strangly at ease, and walked out of the house with his cross bow dangling on his arm. He walked around the house twice and jumped out of his skin when he got back to the front and found Carol staring up at the sky, something in her hands.

"Carol." Daryl mumbled.

"Hi." She said, looking down at him. "I brought you lunch, since you left before breakfast."

"thank you." She nodded, then smiled. He took the offered lunch and smiled.

"Daryl I... I never... I... I never thanked oyu proper for that night... you saved me. Its just that I've been so angry, so... sad, since Sophia-" She looked away and closed her eyes. "Died. I was so mad at you... because... well you gave me so much hope, you're eyes gleamed for her, you... you really believed you were gunna find her alive, so much that I... I chanced to believe to... When you were wrong it shattered my everything, my entire soul..." Daryl put his lunch down and wrapped his arms around Carol.

"I know MeMe, I know. I understand."

"I feel like no one understands..."

"Come inside with me."

Carol watched Daryl clean. She moved to the shelf and pulled a small picture out from under a book. It read David and Jack, 2002. She frowned and turned it over. She jolted and dropped it.

"What?" He went to her and frowned, picking the card up. The color drained from his face and turned bright red. He cleared his throat and stuffed the picture into his back pocket.

"Daryl... was... was that you?"

"Huh? Oh... uhm... uhm... yeah..." He withdrew the picture and paused, looking down at it. His heart hurt to see it. It was the first night they had been truely alone on the island. Daryl's hand was down David's pants and they were kissing. Daryl had his eyes open, staring into David's closed ones.

The memory was painfully fresh. It felt raw against him. Daryl always left his eyes open whenever David had kised him, whenever they made love. Daryl was always open and loving with David, he wasn't shy, sex was sex. David blushed all the time, especially when he opened his eyes to see Daryl staring into his.

"Are you gay?" Carol asked.

"No!"

"Who is he?"

"I... He's... beauty." Daryl closed his eyes. "He... was my lover. I'm not gay. Its... its not about gender or appearance or anything. He's just my... love. He... He was my best friend, the only person that ever truly wanted me, for me." Daryl squeezed the picture in his hand and whined. "I thought... I thought maybe if I came here... if I sought him out, maybe I could find... the only thing that was ever right in my life." He mumbled.

Carol nodded. "No... I... get it. Your bi." She smiled a little.

"Not exactly." He shrugged. "I dont particularly like anyone. Its just... David."

"So... if he's David, then... your Jack?" Daryl nodded. "So your names not Daryl Dixon its Jack?"

"Sometimes." He shook his head. "Listen... its complicated, ok? Really really complicated."

"Daryl! You can do that! You never let anyone in! Let me in. Please? I... I need you to let me in. For me. Not for you, just please, for me. I need something to think about other then Sophia!" Carol sank onto the sofa and Daryl paused.

"Ok." He mumbled. "You want... You want me to tell you my life story?" She nodded. He sighed heavily. "Where do you want me to start?"

"Where were you born?"

"So you want me to start at the beginning, beginning?"

"Yes."

"Its... its not a happy story, Carol. My life..." He sighed.

Meanwhile...

Andrea shifted and yawned.

"You doing ok?" Michonne asked. Andrea shrugged.

"Im just tired..." She mumbled.

"Well you cant be tired, so wake up, alright?" Andrea nodded and they walked on. Andrea felt like her entire body was pulling downwards, into the dirt. She just wanted to lay down. She was more then tired, her skin felt like it was drawn thin over her bones.

"Can we rest?" Andrea asked around noon. Michonne paused. She was still not used to haveing andrea around. She shrugged.

"I suppose, are you feeling ok?" Andrea frowned.

"Just tired."

"C'mere."

"What?" Michonne pulled the other woman close and pressed her hand on her forehead.

"You've got a fever."

"WHAT?! Nono... I-I cant have a fever- I haven't been bitten..." Michonne gave her a look. 'What?"

"You forget that the only illness out there isn't just the zombie one... You could just have a cold."

"Right..."

"We'll have to find a place to rest, until you get better, some place with shelter." Michonne took out her map and consulted it for a few moments.

"Well... it looks like theres another farm about a mile or so from here. Lets go."

MEanwhile...

Merle...

Toby stared at Merle, not blinking. Merle stared back. Momments passed and Aria walked in.

"Whats shakin?" Toby jumped out of his skin and blinked.

"HAH! You blinked!" Merle exclaimed.

"God Damn it Aria!" Toby grunted. Merle smiled warmly and waved at her.

"Hows the hand doing?"

"Good, hows the lab... the... do not disturb signs... well... its been on there for so long we worried you'd turned into a zombie."

"No... but close. I got a few friends last night and took some samples."

"What?" She paused.

"Im sorry, I didn't want to tell you but... I have a walker in the lab, now, I have her really locked up, and chained down and theres little chance she can escape-"

"Little chance?!" Little chance? Seriously?!"

"Listen, listen, ok, Merle? I know this sounds bad, but, jeez, come on." She led the two into her lab and presented the zombies to them. Well, the zombie.

"Ok..."

"Its heavily sedated, and chained up and in a cage. The only way for it to get out, is if we die in like an earth quake, or something."

"Ok, why is it in here?"

"So I can study the virus, duh. She was the most intact one I could find... I took some samples from the other ones too... check this out." She went to her computer and held a strange device to her head. It made a strange noise and then she plugged the dvice back into her computer nd typed something in. "Toby get the lights." Toby obeyed and an image of a brain flickered on. "Ok, so this my brain. Im healthy young... Ive never done drugs or drank alcohol and im a genious. Toby you've smoked pot, right?" Toby nodded and She walked over to him, scanned his brain and then plugged the device back in. "Thats Toby's brain. All of those colors are synopsis fireing. Thats his personality, its a little slower on Toby because, well... he's not an absolute photographic memory genious as me, and... well he's smoked pot. im not saying Pot is terrible for you, it just makes you a little slower, just a tiny bit. Wanna scan your brain Mr. Ecstacy Cocain Pot?" Merle frowned at her.

"Fuck you" She curtsied easily, and giggled.


	10. Chapter 10

**((HI! How is everyone? Fantastic i hope! Anyway. I just want to give a special thanks to ISLASHLOVE! Ze reason why these updates are happening. I've had terrible writers block for weeks... So yeah... Happy... uhm... Unbirthday! Yeah. Anyway.)**

_**"Thats Toby's brain. All of those colors are synopsis fireing. Thats his personality, its a little slower on Toby because, well... he's not an absolute photographic memory genious as me, and... well he's smoked pot. im not saying Pot is terrible for you, it just makes you a little slower, just a tiny bit. Wanna scan your brain Mr. Ecstacy Cocain Pot?" Merle frowned at her.**_

_**"Fuck you" She curtsied easily, and giggled.**_

_**...**_

_**"We'll have to find a place to rest, until you get better, some place with shelter." Michonne took out her map and consulted it for a few moments.**_

_**"Well... it looks like theres another farm about a mile or so from here. Lets go."**_

_**...**_

_**"Its... its not a happy story, Carol. My life..." He sighed.**_

Daryl moved. He stood and paced. He just couldn't sit still. He had never told anyone about his life. His brother had figured out most of his secrets.

"So uhm... I was born in georgia. To Jude Dixon and Martha Luther. I was born Daryl Dixon, no middle name."

"Uhm. Well... that was... factual." Carol forced a smile. "But thats not what I meant. New topic. Uhm... when did you... figure out your sexuality?"

"I told you Im not-"

"Hush, just go with it." Daryl huffed.

"Alright... Uhm... I... I guess when I met David. I never really dated or anything. And it wasn't instantaoues. It happened over time... I kinda just... fell for him. He has such a fantastic personality... Had. I suppose now."

"How about your childhood." Daryl paled a bit.

"I suppose.. it wasn't as terrible childhood. My dad... uh... he didn't like staying in one place. He'd get... wilely I suppose. We moved around a lot. My brother used to get in a lot of trouble. But my dad always... favored him."

'Favored him? How so?"

"When he was being a father, Merle always got all the good attention. Dad took him fishing, camping. He really... adored Merle, you know? My dad was a dick, who believed in rough treatment to get things across. I suppose it works well and good enough." Daryl shrugged. "But once Merle hit 11 he started to fight back. He socked da in the jaw once, knocked his teeth out. After that, Jude... well... Jude didn't hit him so much." Carol nodded, listening intently. "This may come as a shock but everyone always liked Merle. I... was just weak. I hated da's mood swings and..." Daryl shruggd. "I dont know. I never fought back. never could do it. Im just... pathetic." Daryl sank into a chair, like he had a thousand times before. He closed his eyes and sighed, curling his hands into fists.

"You aren't." Carol sighed. She walked over to him and sat down on the arm of the chair. She ran a hand through his hair an let him relax against her, eyes still closed. She knew he wasn't a hugging type, didn't get hugged enough when he was small, obviously. Pain laced her heart to think of anyone raising a hand to hurt a younger Daryl. He was such a good man... Lost but good none the less.

"I am. My dad used to say that I-" Carol smoother his hair, trailing her fingers lightly over the scruff of his thick growing beard. He hadn't shaved in a long while.

"Your father was the pathetic one, hitting children. Like Ed... he wasn't worth his salt. But you are." She paused and addressed the scruff with her fingers again. "Why did you stop shaving? I mean... I get stopping bathing, but shaving was something you always did... no matter what was going on." Daryl paused and reached up to touch his face.

"Trying to ugly myself up, I suppose." He mumbled, looking up at her, finally.

"Why?" She seemed shocked.

'Oh... uhm... no reason." He mumbled, trying to keep his mind from tracing back to T-Dog and him in the woods. He couldn't stop feeling the other mans hands ghosting over his skin. Even though they had faded long before, he could still feel them. Carol let her fingers fall onto the scabbed over bite mark on Daryl's collar bone.

"It has something to do with this, huh?" Daryl paused and reached up to grip her hand.

"Its nothing. I promise. Just a misunderstanding between T-Dog and I-"

"_T-Dog_ bit you?!" Daryl caught the emphasis of disbelief of Carols tongue and couldn't help but laugh.

"Yes he..." Daryl shook his head. "He's grown dark since the farm."

"Are we talking about the same T-Dog? I didn't think he could get any darker." Daryl laughed and covered his face.

"Oh my god Carol, was that a... joke?" She grinned and nodded. "that was... funny actually. I'm rubbing off on you, aren't I? Or have you got merle locked away somewhere that dont know about?" Carol laughed and shook her head. Within a moment she had slid into his lap, and they were setting together, basking in each others light for just a moment.

"Does the water work here?" She asked gently, settling her head on Daryl's shoulder. Daryl nodded. "I'd like to take a shower." She mumbled. Daryl smiled.

"Its a little weird." He shifted his arm under her knees and his other arm under her shoulder and stood. She squeeked and clamered to hold onto him. "Your lighter then I dont look like you weigh much but your even lighter then that." He smiled and she giggled. He carried her up the stairs to the first bathroom, the door was open. She slid out of his arms and smiled up to him, kissing his cheek gently. He flushed a bit.

"I didn't mean right away." She mumbled. Daryl laughed lightly, she wrapped her arms around his neck and he paused, their lips were inched from each other. Carol closed that distance and Daryl had to pull away. She made a small sound. "Whats wrong?"

"Its... Its just that I could never truely be yours, not completely and thats not fair to you. I'll always hold David in my heart, maybe above you, maybe not... but he'd always be there, butting in whenever and-" she inturupted him with a light peck.

"No offense, but I don't want to be anyones. For now... I just want to bemine but... I..." She pressed a soft kiss against his lips. "I just want you for a few moments." She answered. He frowned.

"I cant."

"Why not?" Daryl slid his hands down Carol's arms.

"Its not that I dont want to... but... I just cant." Carols face fell.

"Ok." She pulled back and sighed. "Its just that your the only free man in camp."

"Hershell might." Carol smacked his on the arm. "Sorry." He went to the shower and fiddled with it until he got the water running, then he started turning the hot handle on and off , with his hand in the water, until he seemed satisfied. "If it goes cold just pump the hot handle a few times and it'll warm up again." He smiled over at her and she smiled back.

"Thanks. Daryl... I... I'm sorry."

"No, dont be. Im the one whos sorry. Its just that... well, Its not fair to you."

"Daryl." Carol shot him a small frown. "I came up here with the knowledge that you might say no, but Im happy I tried. I like you a lot." She answered. "Your a good man." Daryl nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Meanwhile...

"Carl, did you go through the tent?"

"What?" Carl asked, looking up from his math equations.

"Did you go through the tent, make a mess and not clean up?" Carl shook his head.

"I haven't been in there since I got up this morning."

"Lori?" Lori shook her head no and frowned.

"Weird, its a mess in there."

"Was it an animal, maybe?"

"Uh... I dont think so, but maybe. Its a mess, like someone was looking for something." T-Dog came over.

"Hey guys? Did you go through my stuff? Carl?"

"No!" Carl exclaimed, grunting something under his breath. Beth screaming brought there attention to the other side of the camp. They ran over and Beth ran to her fathers arms, sobbing.

"Whats wrong?! What happened?"

"A man! A man! I came over here to go to the bathroom and there was a man in Ricks car!"

"Human? Walker?" Hershel demanded.

"I dont know!" She exclaimed, sobbing. She wiggled unhappily in her fathers arms. "I still have to go!" She whined and Hershel let her go. Their eyes were all scanning around them, skin crawling.

Later...

"A man? Weird." Daryl mumbled. "Well the house will be ready tommorow, I just have to get rid of a few... things." He subconciously touched the picture in his back pocket. There will be a place for everyone to sleep, beds for everyone. Half up stairs, half down. If it happens again, I'll set a few... friendlies." He smirked and Rick nodded.

The next Day...

When Daryl woke, he saw someone running into the woods. He gave chase but the man eluded him. By the time he got back to camp, everyone was up and had discovered the mess the man had made. He had stolen plenty of canned food, mostly fruit, and some of the medicine. Daryl frowned.

"What all did he take?"

"Basic first aid. Cans of fruit and a can opener." Daryl frowned.

"Lets pull up shop." Rick said easily. "We can finish cleaning up the house together. But we cant risk staying out here another night." Daryl nodded.

"Yeah." He mentally scraped the house, trying to make sure they wouldn't run into anything too pornographic. Probably not. He nodded again and went to his tent. Completely oblivious to the man going through his truck, daryl packed some of his clothes up and started to shove everythign into a bag. He decided to shove everything in the back, behind the seats of the truck, instead of in the bed. He stepped out of his tent and moved to his truck. He looked up and saw Glenn on watch. The smaller man waved at him and grinned. Daryl laughed and waved back. He pulled the drivers side door open, just as the passengers side clicked closed, scarcely creaking on its hinges. Daryl leand into the car and shoved the bag into the back.

The man slipped into his tent with ease and dug through a few things. He paused when he found the picture of David and Daryl. He growled something and tore it in half, pocketing one half with ease. He tore the other half up into little tiny bits, then picked up a knife Daryl had left by his bed. He felt its sharpness and took it as well. He picked up Daryl Vest and tried it on. He liked the way it felt so he left it on. They were about the same size, Daryl was slighter, and shorter, they both wore Med, shirts. He peaked out and waited until Glen was looking the other way before he slipped out and ran into the woods.

Daryl got into his tent and nearly screamed, when he found the other half of the ripped photo. He picked up his cross bow, thankful that it was still there and loaded and ran into the woods, eyes downward, he looked for any trace. Whoeve the man was, he was a serious climber. He had gotten a few feet into the woods and climbed into a tree, vanishing. That was one thing Dayrl had never learned to track, anything that was smart enough to get into a tree, Daryl was terrible at tracking. He tried but lost the trail after a minute or two. He trompted back to camp and found a worried group of people waiting for him. Carol hugged him.

"What happened."

"Stole my knife and my vest!" He snapped, shrugging the woman off, irritated. The only two things he had left out (three but he wasn't going to mention the picture) had been stolen. He went into the tent and rolled up his bedding, strapping it down with practiced ease. "I lost him when he climbed into a tree. Ass hole. Im lucky the fucking dick face faggot pussy didn't steal my cross bow."

"I get that your upset, Daryl, but could you curb the language?" Lroi asked, hand on Carl's shoulder.

"Fuck you Lori. Have you just had the two most important things you have stolen? I dont fucking think so. So lay off." He snapped. He tossed his bedding out of the tent and Lori took a step back. She muttered something under her breath and stormed off. Daryl pulled up the posts from his tent and collapsed the poles, again with a practiced ease. "How about the rest of you finsih breaking down camp, yeah? Bugger off!" He hissed, gnashing his teeth with irritence. Rick patted him gently on the back.

"Calm down Daryl, you'll get your vest and knife back. I have faith."

"Its more then that... I... had a picture of me and Merle In there and he tore it up. Dont know why, he just did. Then I lost him. My grandma gave me that stupid knife. Its special." He mumbled, tyeing his tent and shoving it into its bag. He threw it into the back of the truck. Once his part of camp was cleaned he swung into his truck, gunned the engine and pealed to the house. He yanked his back from behidn his seat and yanked himself out of the car.

He went to the door, and paused, seeing his reflection in the glass. He rubbed his face. he really did need to shave. He sighed and went inside. He had already claime dhis old room again, so he threw his stuff inside and decided to get cleaned up before the others got there to hog all the hot water. He went into the bathroom and stripped down. It was a nice bathroom, except for the quirk in the hot water. It was like that all over the house. It had always bothered Daryl when he lived there before, it took his forever to get used to but once he got used to it, he liked it. After he left, he missed it and craved it. Carefully he set the hot water up. The bathrrom was large, a sink near the door, then an expanse of counter top. There was an empty trash can near next to the end of the counter. Next to the trash can sat a very comfortable toilet, that Daryl had scrubbed clean. The walls of the room were made of deep balck walnut, ocasionally inturupted by bits of Ceder and oak. Across from the toilet, about a bodies length away, there was a large cupboard wardrobe type deal, (filled with towels.) There were immaculately painted roses and flowers on the cupboard that David had painted.

Daryl laid his hand on one of the roses before he opened the cupboard. He took a nice black towell out and laid it on the toilet seat, then a wash cloth and a bar of soap. The bathtub and shower were around the side, away from the other things, it wasshaped like the pentagon on supermans chest, and had a massive detatchable shower head and it was surrounded by printed glass. Daryl sighed and unwrapped the soap. He easily slipped into the shower, closing the door behind him. He washed himself with happy ease. As he bathed he hummed a nameless tune.

Meanwhile...

Lori was ranting.

'I dont really get why he has to be such a dick about things. I mean, would it kill him to muster some manners? Or is the only thing he cares about-." Suddenly she paled, dropping one of Carls shirts that she was folding. "Rick."

"Whats wrong?"

"What... what if Daryls a... a..."

"Lori?" Rick went to her, she rubbed her face.

"Do you Daryl gets a little too friendly with Carl? I mean... you dont think hes a... pedophile do you?" Rick laughed and shook his head.

"Daryl? A pedo? I dont think so. With a pedophile you usually have then making excuses to be near the kid. Or asking to watch them, have alone time with them. Daryl isn't a pedophile. he's just gruff and you dont go out of your way to have manners with him. He thinks your a little bit of a control freak, I think."

"Im a control freak?!" She exclaimed, voice going shrill. Ric laughed.

"Honey, hes just upseta nd your upset. It'll be fine once we get into the house."

"No! NO! I am so tired of you having his back all the time. The way he pealed ot of here?! Someone could have been hurt! Jesus Christ." She picked something up, started to fold it then threw it across the tent.

Glenn hollered something and got their attention. Rick went out of his tent, running to nwhere Glenn was standing. His hands were stained with crimson.

"I got him. I got... him... He... I..." Glenn was panting, his skin was covered in goose bumbs.

"Did you kill him?"

"No. I just wounded him. He punched me and got away." Glenn huffed and Rick moved to him, taking the knife with a gentle ease. "He was... human." He muttered. "It was... different." He mumbled. Rick patted him on the back.

"It'll be ok. Theres a lot of blood, where'd you get him?  
"Arm... I-I think. I cant be sure."

"Well... lets try not kill him. He might just...need help or something, ok?" Glenn nodded.

"Sorry."

"dont, its ok."

Meanwhile...Merle

Aria started by taking samples of her blood, celss and other tissues and infecting them to see how the virus acted, then she started to notice that it didn't infect. Instead of perverting healthy cells, it just triggered a train reaction. In her school they had infected blood cells with AIDS and things like that to see the way the virus' reacted.

"Merle, can I get some samples?"

'Of what?"

"You... I think my samples are faulty." She mumbled. He shrugged.

"Go ahead, take what you need." She took blood, a skin sample, a scraping of dead and new cells, and a hair sample (not that he had much to give.)

About three hours later she came back out, and went over to Toby, and asked the same thing. 3 times in a row she got the same results, it wasn't an infection. It was a funny thing was that the dead skin cells one would find all over the first layer of someones body, were already changed. That told her a great many things. Mostly that you could die in anyway and still end up a Zombie, the bites must hve just triggared the reaction a little faster. She walked back out to the game room and smiled.

"How many did you say were in that group of yours?"

"Round 'bout 230... Shane, Glenn, Jaqui, Daryl, course, Lori, her brat, Ed, fuckin dick, his wife and their brat, T-dog, Moraless and his brats and wife and family, fucking wet backs. Anyway... uh... Amy Andrea an Dale... uh... Jim... I never could keep track of 'em all. An there were about seven others, but I never learned there names... Hard enough feedin 'em." She nodded.

"Where'd they be at?"

"Well we had a camp, out in the hills in a Quarry mah brother and I used to play at when we was kids... They'd be there I suppose..."

"Well then, I want to check it out, how far away you think that is?"

"two hour drive, maybe three."

"That means I can test out my car... never got the chance before the world went south..."

"Are we going on a trip, then?" Toby interviened. Aria nodded and smiled.

"We wont be gone long... a day- maybe two. You want to come?" Toby gave her a funny look.

"Of course I want to come!"

When they got to the forgotten camp, Merle looked like he might cry. He caugth sight of the pitiful little grave yard and went running up the hill. There were a few scragelers around the camp, but they were easy enough to take care of.

"Merle!" Aria chased after him, and Toby wandered to the car. Merle sobbed, and read each of the strips of paper, clad in plastic, tied to the grave stones. Amy, Moraless' brother, one of his cousins, Ed... There were too many... but none of them were Daryl, and for that he was greatful. His heart wrenched at the thought of Amy being dead, he knew that must have torn her sister appart. And Amy was so young, one of the youngest in the group, so full of life and so pretty. She liked to debate with him, even though everyone told her to stay away. He liked how spirited she was, and he hadn't thought of her once until that moment, standing on her grave. Grass and wild flowers had grown over the grave, so Merle knew they had been gone a while.

"Is he here?" he faintly heard Aria's voice behind him and he shook his head.

"No..." He turned just in time to see a walker go to nom Aria's shoulder. He grabbed her by her braid and yanked her away. The walkers teeth scraped her shoulder, but she didn't bleed. It was Jim. Merle could tell, despite the decomposition, by his clothes. Merle took the knife out of his sheeth and threw it dead through Jim's undead unblessed head. He man contorted and slipped to the groun, twitching a little.

Merle sighed and walked back down to the main camp. Tin cans still hung, clinking in the breeze\. One could see where the fire pits had been, although most of them had been knocked askew. Toby was reading a letter that had been pinned to a red car. A thought slammed into Merle's head and he ran to where he knew The Dixon pit had been. He could see where the earth had been upturned a bit, but like the graves, it wasn't fresh. He dug, scraping the dirt away with his finger nails. He pulled out a small tin box.

When Merle and Daryl were younger, they would go camping, and everytime, Daryl would dig a hole where the tent was and put a little tin box filled with letters, aspirations, trinkets... things that he wanted people to find in a thousand years. A few monthes into the appocalypse Daryl had borrowed a shovel from Dale (along with a few tools so he could work on Merle's bike, they hadn't thought to bring all of that...) and dug a hole next to a tree. Inside he placed a small box, the letter inside contained his name, and the names of everyone who lived in the camp, and their ages, he also had a few diary pages inside, to make sure whoever found it, knew what happened in the appocalypse. Merle was willing to bet he knew exactly what was inside the box. He didn't open it though. He wanted to wait a while. He had never opened one of Daryl's tin boxes before, and he was a little afraid too. Like it would release some sort of magical energy and ruin every box Daryl had ever left. Daryl and Merle had learned magic from their grandmother, although Merle never took it seriously. Daryl did, he truely believed in that sort of thing.

"This note says they went to the CDC..." Aria said, holding the note in her hand. "But it isn't too you, its too someone else, cant read the name..."

"Thats alright... I have a letter... from Daryl, here." He mumbled, shaking the box a bit.

Toby let out a scream,and came stumbling out of the area he had wandered off into. He fought one of the walkers that had ahold of his arms. He screamed, half sobbing, his arm drawing closer and closer to the deads gaping mouth. Merle moved as quickly as he could. He took one down with one with his blade and ran forward,shoving his hand down into the walkers mouth. He didn't feel it wrench its teeth into the fake flesh. He drove the hand further into the walkers mouth, and ripped it upwards, until he heard the head snapping off. He slammed the detatched head into the ground repeatedly. He moved to his blade pulled it out and threw it into the next one. Aria was shooting, there were hundreds. Merle threw Toby over his shoulder and they ran back to the car. They threw themselves into it. Aria drove, and when everything seemed to be lost she pushed a button on the stearing wheel. Suddenly they were going so fucking fast they were pressed against the seats.

Meanwhile.. Andrea...

Andrea was very sick. Within two hours of finding a place to rest, Andrea had slipped into a feverish like sleep. Michonne took care of her as best as was possible. Two days worth of sleep and illness passed. Andrea finally woke, her fever broke. She was alone, when she sat up and stumbled to find water. She washed her face and weakly sank down next to the bucket. There was a light film of snow of the cold ground. Michonne got back a few minutes later and ran to her side.

"Your finally awake!" She paused. "You are... alive, right?"

"Oh course I am." Andrea mumbled, closing her eyes for a moment. "Sorry."

"Its ok." Michonne laughed, smoothing her hand over Andrea's hair. "I was jsut worried that 'd lose you." She paused. "Who's AMy? You kept crying out her name in your sleep." Andrea's face fell.

"She's my little sister.. She... died." Andrea answered.

"Im sorry." Michonne answered. "I really am." She went ot gather up her walkers, which had started to wander about, wilely. She tied them off outside the house and helped Andrea into the room.

"How long was I out?"

"Two days." Andrea groaned.

"That long?"

"I was worried it would be longer. Its alright. This place is defendable." She paused. "I've been looking voer th map. We're getting closer to a small town. We'll have to get a new map there, Thats the end of mine." We're heading towards Viginia... North Dakota." Michonne shrugged. "If your feeling 100%, we'll move on in the morning."

"Yeah... maybe. I feel way better then I did."


	11. Chapter 11

_**Hey! guys! I need more reviews! Please? I LOVE reviews... T.T Is not like I wont update Because i'll get through the chapter and lose all resolve and post despite my count. ANYWAY... I'd like to get 2 or 3 reveiws on this chapter... but... you dont HAVE to comment... I guess... T-T**_

The metal of the box was cold in Merles hand. Since Toby had been hurt the box had been abandoned for two days. Now back at the homestead, with toby locked in quarentine until the possible change. Aria was in her lab, despertly trying to find a cure, in case Toby was infected. It was kind of impossible to tell, despite the fact that there was plenty of huge gashes on Toby's legs chest and arms. Several could have easily been bite marks. Aria wouldn't let Merle near him, incase he changed, she didn't want him to do anything rash. They had gotten very close over the passing monthes, she knew it would shatter Merle's heart to see him through that. Merle stared at the box and tipped it to the side. He swallowed. Carefully he ran a knife around the wax welding the side closed. The box was old, rusty. Daryl had obviously planned for it to be dug up in the near furture, or he would have taken far for care sealing it and he would have used a better box.

Merle carefully popped the lid open and tried not to sob. There was a picture. The picture was on Daryl and Merle on Daryl's 13th birthday. There was a letter written in Daryl's sloppy, yet neat, hand writing. Merle had to hold it up to a mirror to read it. Daryl had learned that trick in highschool, when he learned about Divinci. He had always had writing problems. He wrote his Z's and S's and B's backwards for the longest time until he had a teacher beat it out of him. Merle could recall Daryl's tiny fingers being bruised and abused in 6th grade, for weeks until he got it right. Shortly after that Merle went off to Prison, and then Daryl learned the Divinci style of secret writing, or Mirror writing, and he started to do write him letters in prison. It took Merle three days to figure it out.

Merle carefully held the letter up to the mirror. It read:

_Merle, We tried to find you! we came for you! Why did you cut your hand off?! You just had to wait!_

The older brother could tell Daryl had been upset when he wrote the letter, half of the letters weren't even in Mirror hand writing.

_Merle... I... Im scared, ok? Im terrified. Glenn got kidnapped and we had to go save him and I tried to find you. You weren't there. Why weren't you there? I guess im not that surprized. You never were a patient kind of guy. The group and I are heading to the CDC. Officer Friendly, Rick Grimes, is Bitches husband, Carl's father. The one Shane was always mumbling about. I think Jim is infected. After we got back to camp last night there was a massive attack. Hundreds of walkers. I came real close to getting bit, I didn't tell nobody that._

Some of the words had been worn away by moisture that broke through the seal on the lid. It was hard to tell the next sentences. Merle's blood drained from his face. Daryl could be infected. His search was over before it began, or at least it could be. Merle's thoughts turned to Toby sick in the next room, maybe dyeing. Merle's head spun, images of Daryl chomping down on anothers flesh flew through his head. Merle forced himself to look down at the page, lest he pass out.

_If the CDC fai s, You know where I'll go. Island, where I fi st met Dav d._

_Find me there f you a e abl . I lo e you, Merle._

Merle rubbed his face and coughed. He didn't want to think anymore. He laid back oin the bed. At least he knew where Daryl would be, not that he couldn't have guessed that. Of course Darylk would take the first oppertunity to find David. Merle shuddered, thinking of the two coliding becoming one... He clearly remembered the day he forced Daryl to leave. He stayed with David and Daryl for a week, a whole week, before he couldn't take it. He managed to get Dayrl to come with him into town, and he knocked him unconcious, all the while telling himself that it was for Daryl's own good, that despite how disfunctional the family was, and how bad it got, that was where Daryl belonged. Always. Merle had to admit he was wrong once in a while. Once the infection came Daryl was... intent on leaving. His plan was to get back to David where he could be happy. Merle wouldn't let him, not even when Jude and there Grandmother and grandfather all fell ill. Merle called the shots and eventually Daryl listened. he was a good boy, a better man and Merle cursed himself for not accepting that. He cursed himself for drilling it into Daryl's head that he was worthless and that he was unloved.

Mostly he cursed himself for telling him what he told him about David. He said "He was just using you, Darleena, why cant you see that? I heard him talkin, he said that you weren't anything to him next to that ex wife of his, just a place to keep his dick warm, til she came back." He had never upset Daryl more. At first Daryl denied it, called Merle a liar, but Merle pulled the big brother card, guilted him, worked eery button he knew on Daryl until he believed it. Or at least he seemed to believe it. He was content with getting his heart broken, if it meant another day with David, Merle knew that much.

Inside Merles head was complete turmoil. Everywhere he went he spread hate and ruined peoples lives. Toby would be fine, Daryl would never have been hurt again. Him exsisting ruined so very many lives. Merle gripped the letter and his head in despair, despertly serching for a scapegoat, anyone to blame it on. He couldn't even really blame it on Drugs. Suddenly he remembered why he hated being sober. Too much sadness, too much pain, too much realization and not enough scapegoats. When your high everything is a scapegoat, you didn't een really need a scapegoat. Merle took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He had no options, he had no stash... He just had a letter from the little boy he had let down SO many times, just by showing up.

Meanwhile...Daryl

Daryl spent setting up traps, but it seemed like every time he got one set up and went around to check on it later, it had been triggered., but there was nothing inside. It was driving him insane. Not that he really knew, but the man who was accidently tripping the traps was actually quite vexed by their exsistence himself. The fact that there was people on his island was pissing him off to no end. Worst of all they were in his house, destroying what he had sealed up, what he had protected for so long.

The worst part was that the two kept missing each other by the littlest bit, just barely. Just enough that it was almost comical. Daryl plopped down on a log and huffed hatefully. He paused when he heard cries comeing from the house. He got up and ran to the front of the house. He gasped. There were several signs posts all over the lawn. They read things like 'Get out' and 'Leave of DIE' they were written in red... They tore the signs down, and started putting up tin cans.

The next day...

Daryl woke first. He crept down the stairs and checked the locks on the doors. Rick was in the camera room, carefully watching the property.

"This is really helpful, shows us all the way into the Town... Theres plenty of walkers there... but they dont go near the water... I wonder why." He mumbled, he looked up at a Daryl and smiled. The sun had yet to come up.

"So are we leaving? Like the signs sugested?" Daryl asked.

"I wouldn't say they were sugestions... but... no... We aren't leaving, this spot is way too perfect, theres heat, electricity, central air, its defendable..." He said, smiling. "Its a place where my baby and son can be safe. Theres room for everyone." Rick nodded. "Im not giing that up just because some lunatic keeps telling us..." Rick frowned at the screen suddenly. "Hey... Daryl?"

"Yeah?"

"He's back, front yard." Daryl left with out a word, cross bow off his shoulder with in moments, off his shoulder and loaded. He ran to the front and down the steps. They man looked up, eyes twinkling in the darkness.

"Who are you?!" Daryl demanded.

"You must leave!" The man screamed. "You hae no rights being here! LEAVE!" Daryl could see his figure running off, back into the woods. Daryl fired, missing him by centimeters. Daryl scrunched up his nose and stormed to where the sign was, he tore it out of the trees and broke it in half.

"We aren't leaving!" He called into the dark. "I wont. Not until..." Daryl trailed off, the man couldn't possibly know what he was talking about. Daryl sighed and pulled his bolt out of the tree. He was running lower and lower on arrows. He walked back towards the house. The second he turned his back, something his him in the head. He squeaked and turned back. It hadn't hurt, much, it had just surprized him. It was a stick, there wasn't anything special; about the stick, it was just a stick. He threw it back into the woods and another one hit him in the head. He shouted, and ran back into the house.

"Rick!"

"Yeah?"

"He's throwing things at me!" Daryl paused. "He might be a child, maybe a teenager?"

"We'll find out this afternoon, T-Dog you and I will follow the trail-"

"No, Im going to follow that son of a bitches trail as soon as its light enough." Daryl answered.

Morning came and Daryl made himself a lunch. He took a gun and some of his arrows and his crossbow. Then he started out. He followed the trail all the way up to the highest point on the island, to the caves. Daryl had never liked the caves, so he had rarely ventured towards that area of the Island. He didn't remember exactly why he hated the caves, he had only gone there once...

"Who are you?" He shrieked. "Where! Where are you?!" He demanded, then flopped down on the sandy ground outside a cave. He dug into his lunch and ate it... not really thinking until he felt something brush against him. He froze up and slowly... slowly turned around. Rats. He started to hyperventilate. there were several rats there, all around him. He scrambled away and slipped, falling down the hill leading up the cave. He stood up and batted a few of the rats off of him. He didn't really realize that he was crying, until he rubbed his face. he panted and watched the rat swarm his lunch. He frowned, he shuddered and slid to the ground.

While he sat there Maggie and carol were arranging things in Carols room. They didn't have much, but Maggie had found a few boxes of paint and decorating equipment in the attic. Carol was standing on a stack of books, stretching up to put something on the ceiling.

"Its not that I thought he was unworthy or love or anything... I just didn't ever imagine Daryl WITH anyone before the appocalypse. I mean... Hes handsome, he's funny, but he's... well he's very antisocial." Maggie nodded.

"I've noticed. You say he was with a man too? I never pegged him as gay... he's so... so butch. He's so manly. All the gay men I've ever known were feminene, I believe I've created an unfair stereotype on homosexuals... This world though... now... Theres no place for them."

"I'd rather come across a homosexual rapist in the woods then a hetero one, Im just saying."

"True, but the population of the world..." Maggie shrugged. "Its just... weird. The idea of someone as... manly as Daryl taking it up the-"

"Maggie!" Carol exclaimed then smiled a toothy grin. "He could have been on top you know." Maggie giggled girlishly.

"Oh my god! My brain just went all kinds of yaoi!"

"What Yaoi?" Carol asked.

"Gay Porn, its drawn..."

"Well, Daryl insisted he wasn't gay but... I just... I just know know." She shook her head. "He might be." Maggie and Carol both jolted and dropped what they were doing when they heard shouts. Weapons almost instantly in hands, they ran down the stairs.

"Put your weapons down!" It was ricks voice.

"You first!" A man. "You dont belong here! LEAVE! Why wont you just leave?!" The man was obviously on the verge of tears.

"Listen... We can work this out. Whats your name."

"Does it matter?!" He snarled. "I dont have a name any more. It doesn't matter." He rambled. "I warned you. I told you to leave! LEAVE!"

"I cant do that... my wife is pregnant, this place is... too perfect. Its... Have been on this land since the begining? Its hell out there... I can put my people in jepordy like tha-"

"NO! LEAVE!" The man was shaking.

"Have you been alone this entire time?" Rick asked, he was being the cop, cool and collected, the man was crying.

"No... My... My sister her husband my gardener... They died... though..." He answered.

"How old are you?" Rick asked gently.

"I dont know..."

"Ok, ok... WOuld you like to come in side?"

"NO!" The man was shaking. "No... no... I cant see them again... all those reminders..."

"Ok, would you like some food or water?"

"This is MY Island! You can't be here!" He shrieked. "Then you came and started turning things on, waking things up... Why?!" He whimpered. He lowered the gun and covered his face. "I..."

Daryl ran over the terrain, following his feet. His mind was reeling, no one knew about the tunnels, it wasn't as if they were easy to find or anything... He could have been wrong, but he had to find out. He slid into the cave and gagged. It smelled like rat. He looked around in the darkness until he could a see a candle. He lit it with one of the matches next to it and looked around. The door was easy to find. He slid into it and found the light switch flipped it on and followed the tunnel back to the house. It took barely anytime, it was the quickest, safest route, and he ran the whole way. Carefully he slid into the basement. He closed the door behind him and heard talking.

"Please, just leave!" a mans voice exclaimed. The voice sounded familier Daryl took the steps two at a time.

"Come on now, we'e been at this for an hour and you've just gone in a circle, friend. Your arm needs help, we have a doctor." The man paused, and looked down at his arm before raising the gun again. Daryl stepped outside a little.

"What going on?" Daryl asked, standing on his toes to see past T-Dog and Rick. He gasped., he shoved T-Dog out of the way and took in the sight before him. The mans face and body changed drastically. He started to lower his gun then remained firm.

"Mean trick!" He squeaked. "Your dead! How are you here!? Your dead!" He whimpered.

"Im not dead."

"Jack."

"Darylm whats he-"

"Shh." Carol snapped.

"David... Im sorry I left, Im sorry they died, Im so sorry I let Merle take me with him!" It was taking all of Daryl's power not to run to the other man and hug him, kiss him. "I should have never left you! I didn't want too I-"

"Is it really you?" Daryl nodded, taking a step forward, then another. "Nono! Wiat... please... prove it... I can't... I can;t let this be a trick... I can't let you be alive if im halucinating. I've seen you so many times, Jack! In the face of the dead that wash up... I've seen you, but its never you... Please..."

"David its me- I dont know how to prove it to you."

"Tell me something only you would know!" Daryl paused, trying to think.

"Your a painter, you think your no good but your fabulous-"

"Not good enough! Everyone in town knows that!"

"Merle came and took me away, he practically kidnapped me, drugged me-"

"NO! something better! something about us!" Daryl paused, he didn't want to admit something about them in front of the entire group, especially not T-Dog, not when he had turned him down for sex by telling him he didn't swing that way. Daryl considered for a moment.

"Three men." Daryl began. "They were big and terrifying and they cornered me in the town. They beat me up, took all my money, They tried to rape me. They'd never admit that part... They got scared, and they threw me in the river. You and your sister found me. I begged you not to call the police-" David frowned. Daryl sighed. "I've neer kissed you with my eyes closed." David composure started to wane. "Everytime we've made love I've stared into your face, to remind myself that you are there, to remind myself that you aren't _him_. You know who im talking about, my love. Please. Its me!" David composure broke completely, he dropped the gun and they both walked forward, finally colliding together. They kissed, each trying to dominate the other and for a moment they were a fury and mouth and limbs and Daryl sobbed.

"Your alive!" David cried. "Your alive... Your alive." He held the man against him and Daryl snuggled deep into David's warmth, his scent was alive and strong.

"When was the last time you bathed?" Daryl asked.

"A while ago." David answered. Daryl laughed. "Im so sorry." He said, to the entire group. "I didn't know you had Jack with you. I didn't... I thought you were... I sealed up the house so I wouldn't have to remember the people I lost... And Jack. I mean Daryl, left so long ago that... I didn't think he'd come back. I though you didn't care for me any long." David said, looking into Daryl's face.

"Not to be a spoil sport... or anything, but who the fuck are you? Why the fuck are you making out with him and am I the only one that is fucking surprized that Daryl jsut jumped into the arms of some GUY?!" T-Dog exclaimed. "Some GUY with a gun?!"

"Shut up." Dayrl answered, smoothing his face against David's warm chest.

"I would very much like to know, also, Daryl." Rick answered.

"Its such a long story." Daryl answered, looking up at David. there was contentness on Daryl's face like the others had never seen. "David and I met when I was 19. I had ran away from home and ended up in that town over there... Like I said before, 3 men cornered me after I had lived in the town working odd jobs for a while. They took all of my money beat me into near unconsciencness, tried to rape me then dumped me in a river. David and his sister found me and I started working for them... Somehwere along the lines David and I kinda just... became a couple. I guess." DAryl and David started to walk forward and Rick stopped them.

"Just wait, whoa. Whoawhoa. Daryl? A word?" They went to the side.

"What?"

"Im glad you found your long lost bestie slash fuck buddy, but a second ago he was acting like a maniac-"

"Hes perfectly safe, he was just distraught because he thought we were stealing and stuff- its fine. Promise." Daryl seemed to only want to go back to Davids arms. The other man was tall and built. He was handsome, and could easily kick down a door, and that worried Rick. Daryl trusted him... But they hadn't seen each other in what appeared to be years. "Daryl are you certain- when was the last time you saw each other?"

"A year ago, not counting the time in the appocalypse." Daryl answered. "So... almost two, I suppose."

"Are you SURE you can trust him?" Daryl looked over at David, who wa being stared down by T-Dog and Maggie and Glenn. He didn't look entirely nervous, he seemed exceptionally happy. Daryl nodded.

"Yes." He answered and walked back to David. He took the other mans hand and pulled him into the house. They went dirrectly up the stairs and into the bathroom. Rick frowned after them, watching the stair case the the two men like they had all the answers. The rest of them wandered back into the house, but Rick remaind outside, contemplating, worrying. He stood like a statue, until Glenn called him in.


	12. Chapter 12

David had lost weight... A lot of weight. Sadness ripped through Daryl's heart at that thought. They had spent the entirety of the day, after the shower, hanging out. David tried to hide how pleased he felt about Merle not being in the group. He knew Daryl loved his brother, practically whorshipped him, but he always felt his younger lover needed better role models. The air was thick with unspoken words and David could tell Daryl felt it.

To say the appocalypse had aged his lover was an understatement. The sweetness of youth and the baby face Daryl had carried for years was gone, replaced by hardened lines and acute features. He had lost weight, David had at one point grabbed his ass and was sorely disapointed to find it muscled and hardened. Daryl was 25, but he looked 40. David frowned, he knew he probably didn't look much better.

The room was comfortably warm. Daryl appeared ot be asleep, but David's mind was briht and awake. Daryl was nude, David too. Daryl was curled up against David, his head on his chest, his hair dusted acrossdavids skin, tickling him when he breathed. David was on his back. They had made love that night, and Daryl slept with out a single nightmare since the horror began. David was comfortable aware that some things never changed. Daryl still would only have sex face to face, nothing kinky; no fun weird positions, no bondage. NEVER bondage. He still stared into David's face the entire time, and he was still open. Not quite as loving as David remembered but things had changed, hadn't they? They had to be quiet, they had people sleeping next door.

"I wonder if we can get the DVD player to work." Dayrl mused, inturupted David's thoughts.

"Hmm? Oh... Maybe."

"You're distracted." Daryl accused softly. "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing, just... death."

"Dont think about death, David." Daryl said, kissing David's chest with a smile. David laughed a little and kissed Daryl's forehead. Daryl paused. "David..."

"Yes butterfly?" Daryl smiled at the old nicname, running a hand over the blanket that covered Daryl's shoulders and up to David's rib cage.

"Why did you think I was... dead?" David sucked in a breath, he had seen this one coming. He paused and contemplated the question.

"Daryl you lost me, but I lost everyone... when my sister-" David cut himself off and closed his eyes, "When they died I... I went crazy, I couldn't think, I couldn't kill her... then the gardener disapeared, and then her husand got sick... I put him down, and the ones that made it onto the island... I was so... alone I... In my mind I severed everyone I had ever loved, even you, because to tally you with the dead was so much easier then... Then wondering if you were alive, if Merle kidnapped you, or if you left because of that argument."

"That arguement?" Daryl sat up, the blanket fell and David touched an array of new scars there.

"You remember, dont you?" David asked, wincing, he knew Daryl's temper could go one of two ways... he could still be angry, or he could just be remorseful. David was hoping for the latter.

"Yes." Daryl mumbled. He pulled his knees to his chest and settled his chin on them. "It was just a mess... one night you push me too far in bed, one night you accidently bring up your wife during sex and one night I just... had a bad day. Merle showing up... and you just said the wrong things, and I said cruel things and-" David sat up and wrapped his arms around the smaller male. He had grown, it had been easier to wrap him up in a hug before. was strange to think, because David could see his ribs unlike before, he had been softer before, warmer... Far more raw and uncontrolled.

"Im sorry."

"God, it was just a mess. Sometimes arguments are." Daryl looked over at him.

"I... I should have never said a lot of the things I said... I... was wrong, butterfly, especially to push you like that and... I mean I knew what happened to you before you ran away but I was angry that your brother had shown up."

"Its ok. Its going to happen... it... It just... Its just life." Daryl smiled and snuggled into David. They sat like that until the first light peaked through the curtains."We should get up soon, the sun is coming up..."

Later That Day...

"Daryl, I think you owe us an explanation." Lori said easily, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Uhm..." Daryl scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah Daryl!"

"What the hell!"

"I cant believe you can do THAT!" Daryl flushed.

"I-I... Uhm..."

'You could cook this entire time and you NEVER told us?!" Daryl flushed brighter.

"Carol and I have been doing the cooking in this group since the begining!" Lori exclaimed. "Im not saying out food wasn't great... but... Holy mother of god, some one pass me the pancakes!" Daryl did so, a blush still hot on his face.

"who knew Daryl being gay could be so awesome." Glenn laughed and Daryl tensed.

"I. am not. Gay." Daryl hissed. Glenn looked over at Daryl's face and... turtled.

"Uhm... Uhm... Words... Words that... work... please?" Glenn answered, Daryl laughed.

"Eat the pancakes." Daryl answered, glaring meniachly. Glenn ducked his head and shiveled food into his mouth. _'Who knew that could be such a scary term...!'_ Glenn thought, frowning.

Later...

"What do you think of that officer fellow?" Daryl was washing dishes and cleaning up after himself, David was putting away.

"Hmm, oh Rick?" David nodded and Daryl paused. "He's a nice enough fellow, can be a little too nice, but he'd done right by me, I suppose." Daryl shrugged. "Hes... I dont know, he'd trying to keep the group together."

"He seems a bit riteous."

"Yeah, you could say that. It could be worse..." Daryl answered. "He takes dirrection, input. He's not all, I am king you obey me! Or anything..." Daryl shrugged and sighed.

(No Merle or Andrea this week, so sorry. :) ))


	13. Chapter 13

_"What do you think of that officer fellow?" Daryl was washing dishes and cleaning up after himself, David was putting away._

_"Hmm, oh Rick?" David nodded and Daryl paused. "He's a nice enough fellow, can be a little too nice, but he'd done right by me, I suppose." Daryl shrugged. "Hes... I dont know, he'd trying to keep the group together."_

_"He seems a bit riteous."_

_"Yeah, you could say that. It could be worse..." Daryl answered. "He takes dirrection, input. He's not all, I am king you obey me! Or anything..." Daryl shrugged and sighed._

(Just an FYI, Lori is getting to be about 7 monthes pregnant in this, because I like the idea of Lori all fat and Gross and pregnant, plus I had an idea for some dRAMA but she had to be SUPER~prego. And im not saying NORMAL prego women are gross and fat looking, just Lori. XD)

"The problem is that the baby hasn't moved in a long while... If i could get ahold of some... at least reudementary ultrasound equipment I could see whats going on in there. Not to mention that I've been out of medical supplies for a while. I'll need a guide... which is why... I'll... I came too you." David nodded.

"I know where the hospital is, and the pharmecy... But... uhm." He swallowed, "Its just Daryl."

"We wont be gone long-"

"I cant just leave and not tell him Im going." David paused. "I know that you... don't approve of Daryl and I-"

"Nonono! Thats not it at all-"

"Mr. Greene, kindly, itsd the end of the world, dont save my feelings. Daryl and I... we're weird, I know. I understand that a LOT of people didn't like homosexual relations BEFORE the end, but I imagine the end just made them worse." Hershel sighed.

"Im just not used to it... thats all..."

"Well, that asside, I cant just leave with out telling him, that would be like Rick leaving with out telling Lori. Or maggie leaving with out telling Glenn, its just a recipe for disaster." Hershel nodded.

"I wasn't asking you too not tell him, I just... I dont know."

Later...

Daryl paled and frowned.

"You want... to go into town? By yourself?"

"No! I'll be with Hershel and Rick, I'll just be guiding them, leading them to the hospitals, the safe routes. I've been into the city a few times."

'but the bridge... takes so much noise to lower... attracts so many walkers... and-"

"Nono! We'll be taking Rebecca."

"You still have that god aweful ship?"

"Its a good vessle! And its fast, it'll get us too the bank and away from trouble in a jiffy."

"Its worthless." Daryl said, his tongue stung with the words. Rebecca was the name of David's exWIFE. Everything about her name made Daryl angry. He didn't really know why.

"I'll be back soon-"

"I could go-"

"No."

"I know the city just as well as you do and I've been out amoung the zombies, I know how to fight them and Im faster then you."

"Daryl, I can't lose you again."

"You wont lose me-"

"But what if I do? What if you leave me and never come back? I'd die." Daryl sighed.

"Dont get so attatched." Daryl wanred. "I could leave you at any second, any moment could be my last. And if its not my brain? I'll come back and I'll eat you. But you mustn't let me, if I were to die, you kill me before I come back, you put an arrow or a bullet or a knife through my skull. The second my pulse stops."

"I... couldn't." He shook his head. "Never... I mean... I." He choked. "Daryl."

"What?"

"I would do that for you." David muttered. "If you could do it for me." Daryl nodded. "I'll be back soon, ok." Daryl shook his head

"Dont go."

"It'll be ok." He smiled, he kissed the other man gently. His resolve failed and he sighed.

"Pay attention. Even to the ground, everything around you, ok?" David swallowed and nodded.

Later...

Daryl paced from the time David, Hershel, Maggie and Glenn left. It was bad enough to worry about the others but with David gone too...

"Daryl." daryl whipped around.

"What, T-Dog?" Daryl snapped.

"Come with me, lets get your mind off of David, yeah?" Daryl paused.

'Where?"

"Just for a walk, maybe we'll see a deer or something and you can shoot it." T-Dog answered, shurgging. Daryl nodded.

"I can give you a gutting lesson." T-Dog smiled and picked up his bag from the kitchen floor. "Whats in there?"

"Just some stuff. Nothing too interesting, a couple knives.a couple sandwhiches, stuff like that." T-Dog nodded.

"Yum." Daryl looked through the trees as if he could see David and let out a raggedy sigh.

"Come on." T-Dog punched Daryl gently in the arm and Daryl followed the other with ease.

The talked mostly, chatting about nothing, the weather, the camp, walkers.

"So... what buildings are there on the Island?" Daryl turned and narrowed his eyes at T-Dog.

"What?" He asked, frowning.

"Well I was just thinking about it. Theres the house, the light house..."

"The tower..."

"Is that all? I was just thinking like if we find survivors... we might want to give them seperate quarters... you know?"

"Im sure rick will deal with it. And its not as if there are no trees." Daryl paused. "we could have a society again." His eyes glittered at the thought. "A place thats safe... Kids... laughter.." He laughed weakly and shook himself. "Besides the three stable buildings theres the caves and theres a shack..."

"A shack?" Daryl nodded, and T-Dog grinned. "I wanna see it." He whispered and Daryl shrugged.

"Its not far, this way." He turned, completely unaware that he was being manipulated.

Daryl led him to the secluded spot.

"Lets go in." T-Dog smiled. The shed was small, but sturdy. It had a small door that lay tightly closed.

"Be on your guard." Daryl warned. "We dont know what could be in there." T-Dog nodded and followed Daryl's lead. T-Dog opened the door and Daryl slid inside. There was nothing. Daryl shined a flash light around long enough to realize something was off. A second later he was on the ground, and T-dog was holding him tightly around the throat.

Currently I am watching episode 4 of season 3 of the walking dead, and its PISSING ME OFF. I swear to god if it ends like I think its going to, im going to hunt down the makers and torture them in my own special little way until they fix it. I mean its bad enough that they take INSANE amounts of liberty with the show VS comics... but they cant change the ENTIRE plot, can they? I mean... they are just going as fast as they can! And its not good for them. I honestly think they are going to drive this show into the ground! Gods I hope not because then all my muses willdry up and die. So... I have to go to bed now, and leave you with a huge clife, please enjoy the latest update.

Oh and sorry I haven't added any Merle OR Andrea last 2 updates, I just feel like no one came to read Andrea and Michonne, and Merle and his little family plus they've destroyed all my muse with them as it is on the show. :/


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